Caged
by AnimationMutation
Summary: Once wild and free, now held prisoner like an infected animal. NightcrawlerOC
1. Chapter 1

Greetings fanfic'ers!

My life is very hectic. Updates are when I get the chance.

_Skree_.

There was that sound again. The one that grated against her nerves, clawing at her insanity until every beast that wound itself through her DNA would burst through her skin to silence it.

_Skree_.

It was far too bright. Her eyes refused to see anything in the burning, unnatural florescent white that hummed just outside the door.

_Skree_.

She shivered in the thin cloth that hung off of her shrinking form. Her cage was empty save for her being, the metal floor and enclosed walls not helping in the slightest. She could have coated her once tanned skin in warmth, but she would not give satisfaction to her capture that constantly watched her.

_Skrreeeeeeeeeee_.

Her tired eyes clenched together as the door opened, the metal scrapping against itself all but deafening her. She didn't look up. She didn't need to. She could smell him. The over powering scent of cologne and aftershave, mixing with this humans natural putrid stench of musk had the tiny hairs on her body rise.

He spoke something. He sounded irritated through her muffled ears. She went to stand as to not anger him and raise cause to use the metal pole he carried. She didn't like it when he scratched it against the walls, making that abhor sound, but she liked it less when he forcefully planted it into her form.

She was suddenly yanked up, moving to slow for the others' liking, and shoved into the hallway. How she longed, begged, for the physical power she once had. She could have torn this human to pieces in a matter of seconds.

She had been carless. She just hoped that sleep would come to her before the pain did this time.

_She loudly wept for the unmoving body before her. She didn't understand why it had needed to die. It needed to live as much as the person who shot it. Not even age seven, and she already knew this._

_Its warm fluids that pooled around her made a splat as she fell to her knees. She pushed it with her hands, the size of the cat dwarfing them, thinking, just maybe, it was still alive._

_She only succeeded in staining herself farther. Her mother wouldn't be too happy. Then again, she really didn't have a memory of her mother being real happy._

_Him. This was his fault. The animal didn't even run at him, just stood there and looked at him. Watching as if curious. It did hiss, but it was just stating that he was close enough to its presence. Even she knew that it wasn't being unfriendly, only cautious. Could he not tell? No. He knew. He ignored it._

_He had yelled at it, it just looked at him. It turned to go when a rock was thrown in its direction, but he aimed his gun anyway._

_He was excited when the magnificent beast fell. Even her mother yelled joyfully, praising her new husband for a 'good shot.'_

_She was the only one that was upset by it._

_She chocked on her sobs, wiping her running nose with her bloodied arm. Its blood dribbled into her mouth, instinctively swallowing a little, before being yanked up by her tail. Her stepfather ignored her yells of pain, harshly scolding her for touching a dead corps._

_Her mother had scolded her as well, though; it was much more gently, trying to explain why the animal needed to die._

_It didn't get through to her. If you killed to eat or to protect yourself, that's one thing, but unprovoked killing was murder. Even at her age, this she knew._

"Ms. Hicks?"

Her body jolted back to reality, blinking several times before shifting her gaze from the metal door to the ageing man to her right.

"Ms. Hicks, I asked you a question. If you could answer it."

She remained silent. She didn't fully understand what he was saying. She hadn't heard or spoken the English language since she was a young teen. She had almost forgotten the words that she once knew. Not that she would even want to speak to this short, balding man who had attempted physical experiments and allowed the guards to beat her whenever they pleased.

"Did you not hear the question, Ms. Hicks?" He smiled as if talking to a small child, though the humor did not reach his eyes.

She swallowed, moving her tongue around her mouth, the movement irritating her dry throat.

"Are you thirsty, Ms. Hicks?"

Thirsty. She knew that word. She was, very much so, but she still wasn't going to answer him.

"Ms. Hicks, I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

Help her? The man had done everything but kill her.

"I was really hoping we wouldn't need to use this, Ms. Hicks." She gritted her teeth together. She recognized that name, and it wasn't hers. "But you've been with us for a few weeks now. That's long enough that such treatment form you shouldn't be seen." He fiddled around on the counter that was behind the dissecting chair that the woman was strapped to. He came back into view with a needle. Her breath hitched from seeing a childhood fear. If there was one thing she hated more than this man, it was needles.

He smiled at her wide gaze. "You won't feel a thing, Ms. Hicks."

"N-not…"

He paused. She had had made sounds to match her mood when she was first brought in, but she had never spoken. The suddenness slightly took him off guard.

"I'm sorry?"

If her speaking would keep that needle away from her; hell, she'd learn every language known to man.

"N-not n-na-me." Her voice sounded more foreign to her than it ever had. It was scratchy and forced.

He chuckled, and it infuriated her. "Is that so? I'm curtain it is, Coleen. Coleen Hicks is the name your parents gave you."

"Not name."

"Well, whatever you believe you're called, don't think that just because you finally decided to start talking that you're getting out of your punishment." He held up the needle, motioning with his head to something behind her. Large hands took her head non-too gently, and pushed forward until her chin hit her chest. How long had there been someone back there?

"I'd like to see what your abilities are, since you won't share with me willingly. I know it has something to do with your DNA." He laughed as he moved her hair away from her neck, she struggling weakly in the other mans grasp. "Those blood samples I got from you were phenomenal! I've never seen anything like it, and I've seen many mutants, Ms. Hicks."

She felt something cold land on the base of her neck, a strange sensation running down her spine and causing her mind to feel numb. She vaguely wondered if she would eve wake up from this nightmare, before all her thoughts turned fuzzy.

Thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

_She never liked her stepfather. She was pretty sure he didn't like her. But he liked her mother and her mother liked him. He made her smile so she tried to get along with him, even if she found it unfair that he didn't try to get along with her._

_Time had passed and the mountain lions murder would usually float though her mind. There was a time when she became angry at the memory, a long low growl escaping her throat without her knowing, startling her mother._

_There were times, when she wondered what must have been going through the felines mind before it died, that she would suddenly smell things that were beyond her knowing. Once, she woke in the middle of the night, burning up and feeling extremely uncomfortable on the mattress, choosing to spend the rest of her night curled into a ball under the bed. She didn't know what to tell her mother when she found clumps of fur all over her room._

_Sounds were sometimes louder, sights were sometimes clearer. Meat became almost a need whenever she didn't see enough on her plate. When she would run outside, there was sometimes an urge to jump up a tree or rock and lounge in the sun. She questioned her mother about it, her response being that she was growing up. Her stepfather said she was 'growing into her freak.' She never understood what he meant._

_She had been outside helping with the chores near the horse stalls, stacking up wood that had fallen over. She tried not to think about her hunger, but it was harder than usual since her mother told her that dinner would be a little late. A sudden blur caught her eye. A little cotton tail rabbit darted out from close to where she stood, stopping short._

_She suddenly froze in place, her eyes wide, as if waiting for movement. The rabbit hopped about, not really taking notice of her._

_Hers eyes never left it as she dropped to the ground and slowly moved toward it. Her tail flicked behind her as her muscles flexed, preparing for a spring. She could almost hear its increasing heartbeat when it noticed her getting closer._

_It darted off into the wild, the preteen close behind it._

She lied in her cage, curled in a ball as she racked her mind for memories. She could remember doing things after the injections, but they were always unclear. It was like just waking up from a dream, only to have no idea what it was about.

She knew that Stryker (she assumed that was what he was called from hearing other call him by it) now knew her mutation, though not to its full capacity, she was sure. She remembered tapping into several animalistic instincts, how many different ones, she wasn't sure. But, now that he did know, there was no point in trying to hide it any longer.

Her body was coated in a tan fur, hands and feet enlarged, and ears widened, narrowing toward the top, able to somewhat swivel them on the side of her head. It was all that could be noticed if anyone glanced into her cell.

She had surprised herself that she could shift at all, being as exhausted and strained as she was when she gained conscience. It might have been something in the grotesque slop they served as the 'food' that refused to agree with her stomach. If she shifted too rapidly she would have to remain as a 'human' for a while. She was being pushed to her physical limits.

Several days of this had drifted by, she nearly not having the strength to barely stand afterward. She spent most of her time in her cage or under Strykers' 'influence.' Beatings were becoming less frequent.

There was one instance where the serum seemed to wear off. She could feel bits of her mind clearing up. She had seen that she was in a wide room, another person stood across from her. His skin tone looked a little green, but she wasn't too sure. Her legs were elongated and could feel a long, sticky tongue coiling in her mouth. She couldn't remember much else after she felt the cold drops on her neck again.

She snuggled herself into a tighter ball, relishing in the warmth of her body heat. She despised this place. Everything was cold, hard, and man made. The metal floor hurt her bare feet and strange noises that she heard from the inner workings kept her awake. She could usually hear rushing water through the walls depending on where she was. It made her feel more dehydrated then what she was already.

She flattened her ears against her head when she heard the metal scrapping down the hallway again. She perked up when she heard scuffling and laughter. She smelled the usual humans that were always around, but there was a new scent among them. It reminded her of the outdoors, a place she longed for.

She listened as a cage door screeched open and closed. She instinctively stiffened and growled softly when the voices grew closer to her, fearing they might come and 'play' with her. In her current condition, she wouldn't even be able to hold one off, let alone three. Her body relaxed as their heavy footfalls and loud laughs grew fainter.

When in a feline form, she had aspects of a feline mind, curiosity being one. The only times that more than one human would come down this hallway were meals, taking prisoners out of their cages, and putting them back in. They hadn't taken anyone out today, and meals wouldn't be passed out for another several hours, meaning that they caught a new toy.

She was just tall enough to look out of the little window in the door. Her ears didn't pick up any sound other than the humming lights and there was no movement that she could see. It bothered her. She was used to hearing some kind of movement at all times.

The tall man that was kept in the cage across from her, for instance. He constantly paced in the confined space, shuffling his feet, when he wasn't trying to talk to one of the other prisoners. Though she didn't understand him, she liked the sound of his voice.

He was removed yesterday and she didn't remember him being brought back. She assumed the worst.

Finding nothing of interest, she curled back into a warm ball.

_Her stepfather was furious, possibly beyond it._

_He stormed up to the girl, yelling his head off about how much her mother was worrying. He stopped short when he saw her up close._

"_My god! What the hell did you do!?"_

_Do? She was hungry, saw something she could eat and ate it. After eating she was sleepy, so she lied down for a while. She didn't mean to sleep for so long._

_She opened her mouth to apologize for not coming home until the next day, when she was roughly lifted. She was tucked uncomfortably under his arm, jerking around was he quickly made his was back to the house._

_He mothers' first reaction to seeing her was to pull her into a hug, her second being to scold her._

_She didn't though. As soon as she saw the dried blood on her daughters' clothes and face she feared the worst._

_The girl was cleaned, all the while telling her mother that she didn't get hurt, just hungry. This did nothing to calm her mother. If anything she seemed to panic more._

_She sat in bed that night, thinking about what had happened the past two days. She was hungry, she saw a rabbit, and she went after it because it was food._

_But why did she think it was food? She had never eaten rabbit before. She never thought about eating cute little bunnies. Why did she chase after it?_

_She was hungry. You eat when you're hungry. It moved. When you need to eat, you hunt. No. That wasn't right. Was it? She felt sick._

_When did she ever think that hunting for food natural? Then again, what about her was natural? She had a tail and her eyes didn't have pupils. What human looked like that? She was a mutant; therefore unfit to walk among humans. It's the reason why her mother home schooled her and why she was never allowed to leave home. Her stepfather reminded her about this often, usually fueling her guilt._

_She felt her heart beat quicker as her thoughts roamed from the rabbit to her mothers suffering. Because of her, her mother couldn't go out with friends, or go out at all like normal people. She had to stay home and watch her freak of a daughter. She suddenly didn't feel safe. She felt exposed, out in the open for anything to leap out at her. She pulled her blankets to the floor, burrowing herself underneath them._

_She could her stepfathers snoring in the next couple of rooms over, and it made her nervous. She couldn't really tell why._

**

Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Critiques?

Brownie Points if any can guess who the mutant in the room with her while she was under the 'influence' is.


	3. Chapter 3

She was awoken earlier than what she was accustomed to due to shouts. It was a voice she was unfamiliar with, heavily accented and deep. Male. She wobbled sleepily on her toes, moving toward the little window on the door to hiss at whoever was making all the racket at such an hour. Not that she knew the time of day, but it was giving her a headache.

Glancing out, she saw the outline of a head trying to lean out of his cages' opening across from her, a few doors down.

"Lassen Sie mich heraus! Wo meine Frau ist!? Ich fordere das, um sie zu sehen!"

She stuck her head out as far as she could, meaning only her blackish nose poked out, and gave a loud feral growl. His words stopped almost immediately, she not hesitating to plop back down to the ground when his echoes stopped.

However, as soon as she made herself comfortable, he started shouting again. With a low growl in annoyance, she shed her warm fur, her skin hardening with small spiny scales, and leaped up onto the door, sticking to it. With her head now level with the window, and her head shaped slightly narrower, she could see out a lot better.

She gave the loudest call she could. It sounded like a strained hiccup if anything. He was already looking in her direction when she croaked. It might have had something to do with the noise her skeletal system made whenever she shifted.

"Wer sind Sie? Wo sind ich?"

She only flicked her tongue out, smelling him. This was the man the humans brought in. Her eyesight wasn't as good at the moment, but she could tell he was dark. Very dark. She could swear that his eyes almost glowed in contrast.

"Ah," he spoke again, "You speak English? Tell me vere I am!"

She ignored his voice and thought of a word that she could use to tell him to shut up and let her sleep before morning rounds. She had no such luck, though, not when he kept shouting at her.

She was about to croak at him again when she heard hurried footsteps. She quickly dropped back to the floor and smoothed her scales back into her human skin. Despite hating her 'human form,' she had found the hard way that the guards didn't like to see her any other way.

She tucked herself away from the door if any decided to barge in. However, they bypassed her without even a glance inside. She was surprised to hear Strykers' voice, speaking with the new mutant. He never came down to the holding cells.

They spoke for a while, she trying to pick up words that she knew, but only succeeded in lightly dozing off. She was jolted awake by the sudden yells.

She immediately stood when her door opened, slightly dazed by the noise. She was pulled out into the hallway, Stryker standing before her. Where were the shouts coming from?

"Good morning, Ms. Hicks. Since you're awake, I figured we could get to work. I have a something special for you today."

She wondered why he continued to speak to her. He knew she could hardly understand him.

He led her down the hall, she glancing into the new mutants cage. It was then she heard the thuds of fists hitting flesh mixed with the yells.

*

_She had been jumpier than usual. Her mind somehow believed that every loud or hidden noise was a rise for caution. She had run and hid under her bed when her stepfather started up the lawn mower once. It was so much different from the lazy confidence she had had before._

_She assumed she was going through a mutants' version of puberty, since she had never even seen another mutant before. Her mother had recently discussed with her about the 'birds and the bees' since she was now thirteen, so what else could it have been?_

_She was outside, kicking an old soccer ball that belonged to her mother around. She had found an interest in it after catching a game on the television. There was so much movement and watching the ball move about excited her. She really had to keep herself from leaping at the screen to try and get at it._

_She gave the ball a hard kick toward the stables, it bouncing hard off the side and rolling down the hill into the woods. She let out a groan. Her mother had forbid her from going into the woods after her last adventure. But, she was just going to get the ball; she could see it from where she stood. She'd be in and out before anyone would notice._

_She looked around, making sure her stepfather wasn't in sight. It would be getting dark so he'd be out in a few to call her in. He'd skin her alive if he saw he hurrying down the hill. She kicked the ball back toward the house when she got to it. A rustle came from behind and she turned to look before she could stop herself._

_She didn't see anything, but she could smell and hear everything. Even in the twilight, everything seemed so clear and vibrant. She loved it._

_She felt the need to run. Run as fast as she could, weaving through the trees at break-neck speed and pounce the first thing that moved, feeling the dirt and grass between her fingers and toes, rolling in the cool dirt._

_Her mother forbid it. Her stepfather would kill her. But, it was just so…. She couldn't explain it._

_Her body suddenly felt unfamiliar to her. She yelped and fell to her knees as a sharp pressure wound its way quickly through her whole form. She could feel snapping in her feet and hands, like breaking bone. Her whole head felt like it was stretching in different directions. Her clothes became uncomfortable and her shoes felt too small. Just as quickly as it came, the pain stopped._

_Before she could even begin to comprehend what had just happened a shout rang out. She jumped up and forced her stiff and aching body to bolt up the hill with a speed she didn't know she had. She kicked the ball against the stable, just as her stepfather came around the corner. He'd never know._

_He started to speak, stopping short and just stared at her. His eyes got wide as he looked her up and down, she becoming very uncomfortable. What was he staring at? Yeah, she was breathing heavily and she could only guess that she looked as flushed as she felt, but she wasn't covered in blood and her stomach was still empty. What was wrong?_

_He didn't snap at her like he usually would when he spoke to her. He didn't yell like he was mad either. His voice was shaky, almost nervous._

"_G-get to the house. Now."_

_She picked up the ball and carefully made her way toward him, he moving out of the way so he could walk behind her. They were silent, he keeping his distance like she had some kind contagious infection, more so than usual._

_He told her to stay put just outside the kitchen before entering himself. There was an exchange of words in low whispers, but she heard them all as if they were talking strait to her face._

_She heard her mother let out an exasperated sigh and appeared in the doorway with a weary smile and carrying a bowl of mashed potatoes. The smile disappeared, replaced with a look of horror. Her hands flew to cover her mouth as the bowl smashed to the ground. She looked like she was about to cry._

_The teen felt uneasy. She looked around her, thinking that there was something else in the room to make her mother act so, but found nothing. Was she reacting to her? Why was she acting this way? She had surprised and worried her mother on several occasions, but never received a reaction like this._

_She started to move toward her mother, hand raised to see if she could comfort her._

"_Mama?" she tried to say, but stopped. The noise that came from her mouth was anything but words. It sounded like a growl._

_Her mother shook her head, backing up, swatting at her daughters hand. She recoiled after touching her, as if she had touched something utterly revolting._

_She stood there watching her mother, feeling like a large stone had plunged into her gut. Never had she felt so… rejected. Movement beside her caught her attention. She turned to the long mirror that hung above the dining room mantelpiece. Her breath hitched._

_Staring back at her were the same pupil-less eyes, but they were larger and a honey brown hue instead of their normal pale blue. Her hair, still brown, was now a little longer than its shoulder length, a much lighter color growing form the roots. Of what she could see from her body, it was coated in a light fur, darker and lighter markings around her face and ears._

_Her face might have frightened her most of all. Her nose, mouth and chin were pulled forward, her nose widened, almost flat against her slightly doubled upper lip. A few pieces of her eyebrows were much longer, mimicking the, what she assumed to be, short whiskers on sides of her upper lip. Her ears were stretched and widened on the side of her head, with little tuffs of fur sticking out and constantly moving this way and that. She opened her mouth slowly to find large canines on the top and bottom._

_She felt herself shaking uncontrollably as she looked down to the rest of her form. She was furry all over. Her hands were huge, long claws sticking out of each finger. She guessed her feet were the same way if the tightness of her shoes were any indication. She couldn't see her legs through her jeans, but she now realized how much taller she was, like she was standing on her toes. She caught her tail that had began to flick in fear, feeling the thick, soft fur in her lightly padded hands, noticing the black tip._

_She stopped her self-inspection and spun around when she heard her stepfather shouting from down the hall._

"_I told you, Shelly! I told you your kid would find a way to kill us when we least expected it! Now look at her! She looks like the cat I shot years ago! It's a bad omen!"_

_She started to panic when she heard the sound of a gun cock. She became almost hysterical when the angry man entered the room with a double-barrel shotgun, aiming it at her._

"_We kill'er now, she won't get the chance! No one knows you've got a kid anyway!"_

_He fired when his wife didn't say anything in protest, the mutant just barley ducking out of the way in time._

_A low hiss came from her throat as the fur on her back stood on end as best it could through her shirt. She was scared and now being threatened. Half her mind raged that this wouldn't be tolerated._

_She gave a loud scream and lunged at the man before he could fire off another shot. She clawed and bit as if it were a natural defense. She only stopped when she felt something hard hit her continuously on the head._

_She quickly backed off, snarling while looking for whatever had hit her. Her heart dropped when she saw a golf club in her mothers hands, held high, ready to strike again._

_She was siding with him? This man who had hated her since first meeting her? Over her own daughter that she had birthed?_

_She sunk low to the ground, her ears and tail drooping in a very unfamiliar sadness. Her mother had always been there for her, always._

"_You," the woman started with tears falling down her face. "You will leave. Get out of my house, and don't come back!" She threw the club at her, missing entirely._

_Never had her mother rejected her like this. She felt her body pulling in odd directions again, her bones grinding and popping as she watched her mother pick up the shotgun. She was terrified. Her heart was beating too fast._

_Her mother fired just as she dove under the table, her shoes flying off in her hast, leaping her way into the next room. In her panic, she ran into the screen door several times, forgetting how it worked, before finally breaking it down._

_A shot tor dirt from the ground close to her as she moved as fast as she could, jumping fairly high from a new strength in her hind legs._

_She ran into the safe haven of the Colorado wilderness, as another gunshot peppered her heels._

**

Critique? Please?


	4. Chapter 4

writestyle :: Thank you very much! The beans that you wish to be spilled will be spilled next chapter. Well, a good portion of the beans if not the whole bag. Though, I will say now that she isn't just one feral.

**

She didn't know where she was or who the man laying on the ground, smelling of death, was. But, she knew enough just by seeing him that she was responsible for his condition.

She was supposed to do something now. She had been ordered to do something. She had a pretty good idea on who had ordered her, but what was expected of her?

Another pressing thought crept into her clearing mind; how was she ordered? There was no language that she could fully understand, other than body language and pictures.

Her eyeballs began roaming in their sockets, looking around the room she was in, her fuzzy eyesight starting to clear. She noticed her reflection in a large window, seeing herself dressed up in something that was black, covering all but her head, neck, and below the knees and elbows.

As her mind continued to clear, she recognized the feel of her body before actually seeing it. The room was far too cold and dry for her; she was having a little trouble breathing. From this, she knew she was in an amphibious form. A poisonous one, she gathered from seeing her new skin pattern in the reflection.

She let out a small chirp when she heard someone enter the room behind her. She didn't know whom, her sense of smell, hearing, and sight was hindered while as anything other than a mammal. Her long tongue squirmed in her mouth, wanting to wet at least around her dehydrated face, but found that her body was still paralyzed.

The person kneeled next to the body, checking for a pulse. She would have laughed if she could. Of coarse the man was dead. A human could become ill from the toxins in the skin of a poisonous frog by simply touching it. The toxins she was oozing from her grey spotted, pale blue skin was far more deadly due to her size.

But what had been used to make the poison? Poison dart frog bodies didn't produce poison on their own. They had to digest insects that had toxins, like ants, even other poisonous frogs, in order to create something more hazardous. Was she fed something that would make poison? No. Her memory wasn't whole, but she knew she hadn't eaten anything since last she was fully conscience; her stomach was knotting in hunger pains.

During her thinking, she realized that the person was gone and she had moved her body into a more comfortable position. She tested her mobility and flicked her tail, it moving as it should. She flexed her fingers and toes, shifting her legs and rotating her arms. She had her body back.

She noticed that the body on the ground was moved, the room now looking like there was a struggle, some of her skins mucus smeared on the walls where it hadn't been before. She heard voices coming from outside the room, turning to find the door open.

She could run. If she took a form that was fast enough she could escape to her freedom. Or, she could stay in her current form and poison anyone who tried to stop her. She decided the later. She had already killed one man that she knew of, what was a few more that were refusing her freedom?

She started to move quickly toward the door, her lengthened toes making a light, sticky noise on the floor. A shadow moved toward her from the hall, she jumped, landing on the ceiling and sticking as a human walked into the room. He walked in farther, looking panicked. He spoke into a little box on his clothes, running from the room.

She dropped to the floor, moving quickly in the opposite direction that the human did. She felt like she was hopping in circles after a while. She didn't know where she was going. Nor did she know where to go when she found a way out of this damned building.

She stopped when she heard muffled sounds, getting closer, but she couldn't tell from where. She nearly leapt out of her skin when a door a few feet from her banged open, humans running in, pointing their weapons at her when they spotted her.

She didn't move. A piece of her told herself that her color pattern would tell them not to bother her because she's dangerous. The rest of her was panicking, knowing they would ignore her colors because they could kill from a distance. She was too close for them not to miss if she ran.

"Ms. Hicks." She trembled as Stryker moved to the front of the group, lightly smiling at her. She would bet her life that she was going to be punished later. "My, you are just full of surprises, aren't you? I'm curious to know how the serum wore off so quickly, especially with the amount I gave you."

He waved his hand, motioning for her to come to him. She instead backed up, freezing when a gun cocked from behind. When did they get there?

She was tempted to lunge at Stryker, kill him now and be done with it. But, she would more than likely be killed before she even reached him. She slowly stood, the guns following her, as her body shifted back into her weak, human-looking form.

As soon as her skin turned back to its pale pink color, Stryker pushed her head forward, and she became unconscious.

*

_Several days had passed since her mother had basically banned her from her home, and she wanted nothing more than to go back. But, she knew that her stepfather would probably be there with gun ready if he saw her. Even if her mother did take her back, he wouldn't._

_She had spent her time scrounging for food. She found the she liked gnawing on little roots of trees and larger plants, the wet bark taste in the morning really left her feeling awake. She found a wide stream with plenty of fish, but was too nervous to attempt the quick moving water._

_She instead followed it until it moved slow enough to cross. However, it was too deep for her since she couldn't swim. She could float on her back, but she didn't know where the water flow would take her._

_Watching the clear water made her feel incredibly thirsty. She hadn't exactly had anything that would hydrate her, other than the moisture on roots. She didn't really want to drink from a river in the middle of the woods. Who knew what things beside fish were swimming around in there?_

_But, her need for water overcame her fear of digesting something that could make her sick. She drank greedily to a point that she might have been sick._

_She hovered over the water, gasping for air as she willed whatever was in her gut to stay there. The water had stilled again by the time her stomach had calmed, her light reflection taking her by surprise._

_She had felt her body shift just before her mother shot at her, but she was too scared to really think about it. Her ears were long and pointed, her nose was small and pushed slightly up, and her eyes were large. She still had fur, but instead of it being a light tan, it was more of a rusty brown color. She moved away from the water and looked over the rest of her._

_She still had her socks on; the white cotton now covered in dirt and grass stains, her heel now sticking out of the opening. She noticed a hole in one of the toes, a small claw sticking out. She pulled them off to find her feet and toes to be very long and narrow. Patches of fur were missing on the bottom of her foot, small padding in its place. It reminded her of a rabbit._

_Rabbit… She had eaten a live rabbit, and _enjoyed_ it, and now she looked like one. Her stomach growled loudly in the quiet at the thought of eating. She was so hungry, but what could she eat? She didn't know what was safe to eat and what wasn't._

_She moved back to the water, watching a fish swim around. She needed to find a way to catch one, but she didn't know much of anything about fishing. All she knew was that you needed a pole with a wire and a hook. She could easily find a stick to substitute for a pole, but wire and a hook?_

_She leaned back against a tree in defeat, the bark pulling at her shirt and causing her fur to rub uncomfortably. In a fit of frustration, she yanked it off and threw it into the water. She watched it for a while, floating slowly down stream._

_She would have kicked herself at this point. That was her only shirt, her only cover from nature. She looked down at her body and thought for a moment._

_She had fur. Fur kept her mothers horses warm and helped to keep insects off. Fur covered and protected dogs and cats, why couldn't it be the same for her? It was chilly out since night was falling now, but she was warm. Nothing inappropriate could be clearly seen, granted she wasn't fully-grown yet, but still. She actually felt better without it, now that she thought about it; not exposed like she thought she would be._

_She eyed her pants. She'd keep those for a little while longer._

_She had spent her nights sleeping under the largest trees that she could find, burrowing to the tangled roots to keep warm. It worked quite well. Food was becoming easier to find when she started becoming more accustomed to her heightened sense of smell. Though, grains and bits of plants were becoming bland fast. She wanted a full stomach. . She had found a few squirrels and other rabbits, but couldn't bring herself to want to chase after them to eat. She felt nauseous at the thought, if anything._

_Two weeks had past and she was becoming more like a rabbit mentally, burrowing and constantly chewing on whatever she could find. There was a piece of her sanity that knew that she needed to find a way to change back to a more human mind, but she was unsure how._

_She came across a pond while scrounging for something to eat, ripples in the water catching her attention. She wanted a drink, but was hesitant from the waters disturbance. She jerked her head, banging it against a tree once to try and force the worrisome thoughts from her mind. She couldn't live like this. It was going to drive her insane._

_She knelt close to the edge and lapped up the water, her ears straining to hear anything that might alert her to danger. A thump from behind her made her freeze in place, her heart rate rapidly increasing. She sniffed, smelling something that wasn't friendly. A low growl caused her stomach to drop._

_She jumped a split second later, just missing the sharp claws of a bobcat. As soon as she landed she took off, not caring where she was going, just so long as she got away. She spotted a deep hole under a fallen tree, diving for it with little thought._

_She struggled to get underneath, her jeans catching on a branch. She let out a strange sound when a sharp pain jolted through her leg. She was dragged out, the bobcat clamping down on her arm. Her body responded before her mind could comprehend; she bit back._

_Her fear was almost instantly replaced with anger. How dare this beast attack her! How dare it think that it could stalk and attempt to kill her! It would not be allowed._

_She couldn't feel her teeth lengthen, her joints popping, or her muscles and tendons stretching. She didn't feel any pain as she overpowered the smaller cat and soon held its limp body in her jaws._

_Her eyes nearly rolled back in their sockets when she tasted its sweet metallic blood, its tender flesh tearing in her teeth. It was food. It was _meat.

_She devoured it greedily until her sides ached. She licked the fur around her mouth clean, next moving toward her clawed hands, and then cleaning her wounds. Only when she was finished did she notice how… _clear_ her mind was._

_She didn't want to burrow somewhere for the night. If anything, she wanted to move around and explore, but she suppressed the thought. She knew she was tired, even if her mind didn't register it. She needed to sleep._

_She stood on her feet, mindful of the gashes on her leg, only to fall back from lack of balance. She landed painfully on her tail, growling in frustration. She looked at her feet, seeing her heels were stretched, raised up so they couldn't touch the ground._

_Using a tree to steady herself, she took a step, whipping her tail around to keep balance. She could have taken the easy way and walked around on all fours like she did when she was a rabbit, but she wanted to try and keep her mind more human for the time being. Maybe walking on her hind feet would help._

_She managed to make it back to the pond without falling again. She found it relatively easy to walk on her toes, so long as she kept her tail up. She collapsed next to the water, tired, hurt, but not hungry or fearing for her life, which was a nice change. She leaned toward the water, trying to see her reflection in the fading sunlight to pick meat out of her teeth._

_She stopped when she saw her face was feline, the tan fur and black markings on her face the same as they were when she saw herself in dinning room mirror. She had changed from rabbit, back to a screaming cat._

_She debated on trying to change back to a rabbit, but thought better to do it when it was daylight. She cleaned herself as best she could then climbed a nearby thick, leaning tree, lying on one of the branches that would hold her weight and drifted off into one of the best sleeps she had had since being in the wild._

**

My class lab instructor was playing One Winged Angel last night… Good night that night was!


	5. Chapter 5

_She leaned over the waters edge the next day, fingering her long fangs. She wondered how she could change them back into the flat teeth she was born with. She had spent the majority of her morning contemplating on how to go about trying to change. She assumed that her body would shift to whatever form it found necessary at the time from her experience the past few weeks. But how could she force it?_

_She made faces at her reflection, testing how flexible her muscles were. She could smile and frown like a human, even puffing up and sucking in her cheeks. She flexed her enlarged hands and feet, the claws in her toes being able to retract slightly._

_A splash farther out in the water distracted her. She watched as another fish broke the surface to catch a bug as her mind screamed 'breakfast.' She squashed that thought almost as quickly as it came. As much as she would love to have a wiggling fish in her jaws, she would drown long before she could get to it._

_Wait. Cats could swim, right? She had even seen a kitten swim once, so it might come as a natural instinct. Then again, it might not. The water didn't look that deep, but water did have the effect of tricking the eye of its depth, and she didn't know what might be lurking at the bottom._

_Her stomach growled irritably at her. She could track and hunt something down, but how long would that take? Fish were swimming around right in front of her, if she could only get to them._

_She decided to take a chance and try to swim. She discarded her jeans without much thought, actually reveling in the loss of them and started to wade into the water. The wet coolness felt wonderful against her fur, so much that she knelt in the shallows for a while, rolling and dunking herself until her stomach snapped at her._

_Shaking the water from her head, she became serious, watching for movement. She didn't see anything for a while, knowing that her movement frightened off anything that might have been close. Then she saw it; a flash of silver in the light directed her eyes to a fish drifting lazily toward her. She waited until it got a little closer then pounced._

_It darted out of the way before her hands ever broke the waters surface. She growled in frustration, ignoring the water now splashing around her neck. She was determined to catch a fish before the day was out._

_She lunged for fish for a good while longer, failing each time while growing more frustrated. She didn't even notice that she was paddling through deeper water now, too engrossed with her task._

_She stilled again, and felt something brush against her foot after a few minutes. Her back feet snapped together, firmly grasping a thrashing body. She let out a cry of triumph and firmly took the fish in her hands, kicking her way back to shore. She tor the small fish in two and swallowed the halves whole. Never did she remember fish tasting so good._

There was voice coming from the darkness of her conscience, pulling her from her sleepy lull. She stretched out, finding herself to be back in her steel cage. The shouts were still vibrating around her, but she chose to ignore it. She wanted to at least try and dream before Stryker took her thoughts from her again.

The voice had other plans, however. She recognized it being the new mutant that was brought in and huffed in annoyance. Could he not shut up? Yes, he was being held against his will, tortured, and forced to do the bidding of these horrid humans, but yelling wasn't going to do any good.

She was too short to see much through the window so she would have to shift into something that could see out, preferably into something with sticky feet since it allowed her to easily see out. But her body felt tired and strained, and she couldn't (attempt to) make human sounds in any form other than her original. She was in somewhat of a dilemma.

So, she reached her arm out and snapped her fingers to get his attention. He began speaking fairly quickly, in that strange accent that she had never heard. Even when others talked around her she could pick out one or two words that she remembered, but she couldn't make hide nor hair of what this man was saying.

She snapped her fingers again and waved her hand in a slashing motion, trying to let him know that she didn't and wouldn't understand what he was trying to say. He seemed to take her gesture as a negative answer to whatever he was spouting, for now his voice turned panicky.

She reached out with both hands snapping and waving them madly to keep him calm. If they made too much noise the guards would come before morning rounds.

She grabbed the two bars of her window and attempted to hoist herself up so she could see out. Maybe she could communicate through facial expressions. She didn't get very far before her arms gave out. Her body was too strained from her previous, unknown, endeavors.

He was calling her again. He seemed desperate to talk to someone, which lead her to wonder were everyone else was. There were other mutants still kept here, right? It couldn't be just them. What happened to the others?

She growled when she distinctively heard 'Hicks' in his strange voice. He continued to repeat it, trying to get her attention. He had heard Stryker use it, so he must have assumed it was what she was called. She had no name. She labeled herself nameless when she fully accepted herself as no longer being a member of the human race (not that she ever really expected herself to be a part of it to begin with).

She clamed her hands over her ears, doing her best to ignore him and having very little success. He was saying other things, but 'Hicks' stood out louder than the other words.

"Not name!"

She grew still as her rough, foreign voice reverberated down the hall; even the man was quiet. The silence was eerie, almost to a point that she wished he were yelling again.

She got her wish after a few minutes, his voice being softer now. She heard 'name' among the jumble of words. Was he asking what her name was?

"Not name." She repeated.

"Zat is vat I'm asking; Vat is your name?"

"Not name."

"'Hicks' is not your name, I understand. Vat is your name?"

"Not name!" She was getting annoyed now. He was quiet for a moment or so.

"You… have no name?"

'No'… Ah, she understood his frustration a little better now, as well as her lack of understanding. "_No _name."

After a long period of silence, she assumed he had quit trying to talk to her and plopped herself down on the floor. She sighed in content at seeing fur all over the place. They haven't cleaned her cage yet, meaning she could use it to keep warm since she was too tiered to grow her fur out.

She had finished moving the shedding into a pile so she could lie on it when the man called out again. She growled, rubbing her currently baldhead in mild irritation. She wanted to sleep, damn it!

"No name! No!" she yelled out, trying to make herself comfortable.

"No, not _your_ name. _My_ name. _Mine._"

He was speaking much slower now, seeming to get that she didn't quit understand him. My. Mine. These words sounded familiar now that she could pick out the syllables better. If he said those words, it meant he was talking about himself, right? He had said name, too. His name?

"Name?" she ventured. Though tired, her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Yes! My name is Kurt. _Kurt_." He sounded it out slowly for her. She tested it, working her mouth until she found the right sounds.

Kurt praised her for getting it right after a few attempts, she feeling all fuzzy inside. She couldn't remember a time when she was told that she had done a good job. She was by the door again, wanting to continue communicating. It had been over nine years since she had last willingly spoken.

The light atmosphere quickly faded when the sound of heavy boots began echoing through the halls, growing louder. Immediately, she dived to the pile of fur, burring herself in what warmth it provided. She watched the shadows outside, hoping that she wouldn't be taken. She didn't know if her body could take any more strain.

A guard stopped outside the door and peeked in. She must have been a sight if his face was any indication; a bald woman curled up in a pile of shedding, staring back at him with wide, eerie eyes, looking too thin and ragged to be healthy. He must have been new; none of the others even spared a glance when coming by.

He disappeared from view, a slot opened on the door, allowing a bowl of food to be pushed through, if one could call it food. It was essentially the basic nutrients the body needed to survive mixed together. She remembered trying to eat cardboard when she was little. It tasted better than this slop.

She listened as he did the same for Kurt, then his footsteps growing fainter. She assumed that they were going to be allowed to eat in peace before being dragged out.

But, no one else came down the hall, other than the occasional guard. It was an odd change in pace. They were always taken from their cages before their second meal for one thing or another. But, they had only been taken out for bathroom breaks. She hoped that they weren't getting bored with them. If past events gave enough hints, they might not be here for much longer, and she wanted to feel the sun once more.

_Her chest burned with cold air as ran through the shallow snow, cutting close to the scattered trees in the area. Her adrenaline shot up each time her fur was ruffled against the tree bark. She couldn't believe that she was upset about being kicked out of her home. She had been running in the wild for several months now, and she couldn't imagine herself ever going back to living like a human. She no longer had to worry about disappointing her mother. Never had to be afraid of her stepfather turning the corner when she was alone. Didn't have to worry about cleaning the house, waiting for her mother to cook, making sure she didn't trail dirt into the house, or having to watch what she said (she didn't talk at all anymore, finding that human words lacked any meaning in the wild). She wasn't trapped in the confines of her mothers' small ranch._

_She was free._

_She loved running; her body had developed strong muscles due to so much of it. She could move fast while on two legs, but everything became a blur when she was on all fours. She didn't worry about being attacked by other animals, so long as she kept her distance from other cougars and grizzly bears._

_Her mind was clear, her animalistic instincts weren't as strong as they had been. She found that once she quite trying to force her mind into a human thought process, it leveled out on its own after a few minutes of being in a form. She could calculate and think like a human, but kept primal thoughts just under the surface for when a human mind would be irrelevant._

_Her body shifted rather easily than what she had first believed. It would change at will to a form that best suited a situation if her mind wasn't in a state to decide for itself. Other than that, it was all willpower._

_For a while, she thought that she could only shift into animals that she had eaten. That theory was squashed when she found a carcass of a stray dog that had been lying there for a while. She picked at it, since food had been difficult to find for the past few days. When she tried to shift into its form, she couldn't. She later learned that it wasn't the body of the animal that she needed to devour, but its blood. Fresh blood. It needed to still be warm if she wanted to become it._

_She assumed that she could only shift into mammals, since she had eaten tons of fish, yet couldn't even grow webs between her fingers. However, after spending a great deal of time in a rocky plane area, where lizards were the easiest things to catch, she found the pores in her skin pushing out and hardening into something similar to scales. Though, it took hundreds of the same species of lizard to do this. If she ate anything other than the lizards, she would feel her body 'reset' and she'd have to start over. There were some consequences for shifting into a reptile, however. One being that she would become completely hairless and stay that way until her body naturally grew the hair back, or she shifted into a furry animal. She also noticed that her hearing and sight were greatly hindered. But, it was worth it when it was easier to climb over rocks._

_She came to a halt, panting heavily as she overlooked a city. She had been avoiding humans for as long as she could, only running into a hiker once or twice. But now, she wanted to find other animals that were foreign to the area to shift into, meaning that she would have to find a zoo. But, she didn't know what human cities had them, and which ones didn't. She had searched the ones she had come across but would always come up empty. This city was large, though, she had a good feeling about it._

_It was dusk, so she could make her way through the streets with little worry of being seen in the less populated areas. She would have walked around in her human form, but she didn't have her clothes anymore, they being too much of a nuisance. Instead, she shifted into a Bobcat. She would have preferred to stay as a puma, which had become her favorite form, but its lighter fur would be too easily spotted. Bobcat fur would give her a chance to move without being noticed too quickly._

_She stayed just outside the city's border for a while, trying to see if she could make out any signs that pointed to a zoo. She eventually found herself sneaking farther into town, trying to read the signs that stood off to the side. She never thought that she could forget such simple words in such a short amount of time. Then again, humans always had some sort of print around to keep their minds from forgetting. She hadn't had any for a while._

'**Denver Zoo'**

_The city of Denver, Colorado's capital. They were bound to have a good selection of animals that she could shift into. She couldn't believe her luck on finding it so easily, without running into any humans on the way. Though she was nervous about being so far in to their territory. Not even with her mother had she ever been to her own hometown._

_The park was shut down and locked for the night. How was she going to get in? Wondering around the front entrance for a while, she noticed a dumpster that was pushed up against a low building. If she jumped on it she could reach the roof of the building then make her way inside. Easy right?_

_Getting up the building was simple enough, however she was not prepared for the humans that stood on the other side. Weren't they supposed to be gone? The park was closed! Upon closer inspection, she noticed that they were employees, meaning that they probably wouldn't leave for another few hours._

_She knew she should leave right then and there, don't risk getting caught and possibly killed. But, there was almost rush at the thought of sneaking around with humans so close._

_Another building caught her eyes. It wasn't very close, but she thought she could make it if she jumped. She readied herself and leapt, just coming short. Her claws scrapped loudly on the roof as her lower half tried to find leverage to hoist herself up. No such luck._

_She fell to the ground with a grunt, the humans already making their way over. They stopped short when she gave a loud growl. She was starting to panic; they would know she was a mutant, if they didn't already. They would kill her, like her mother and stepfather tried to do._

"_Hey! Eliot! Get a catchpole! We got a bobcat out here!"_

_Bobcat? They thought she was just a wild animal. Understandable, since it was dark now and she knew human eyes weren't too great, but it didn't help to ease her nerves._

"_How the hell did it get out of its cage?"_

"_I think its wild. It fell off the roof."_

"_Well, then how'd it get on the roof?!"_

_She counted four, one with a pole with a loop at the end. If she ran, could she make it?_

"_Whoa, hold on. What are we supposed to do with it when we catch it? We can't hold it inside, and we can't risk putting it in with the other cats. It might be sick!"_

"_There's an empty pen around the corner we can keep it in until animal control gets here to put it back in the wild." One of them started coming closer, cooing at her to stay calm. She began thrashing a wire looped around her neck from behind fallowed another. They tightened around her neck painfully, jerking her in two directions before being pulled down the cobblestone walkway, her struggling all the way._

_She was lead into a large area with high walls and railing around the top. As soon as she felt the loops gone from her neck she scurried under a clump of large ferns. She watched as they closed the heavy door, trapping her within._

_She was breathing heavily, terrified about what was going to happen to her. She knew they would be back soon, possibly in the morning, when it was light out. Then they would be able to see that she wasn't an animal at all, but a mutant. She looked up at the walls. Even as a cougar she wouldn't be able to jump over them._

_She brushed up against a wall, the rough concrete texture helping to ease her panic. Looking at them again, she began thinking. She couldn't jump it, but she could _climb_ it._

_She was glad she took the time to hunt nothing but plateau lizards until she could shift into one. Her stomach may not have liked her during that time, but it was saving her tail now._

_Her bones popped and grinded, lengthening each part of her body respectively. Her skin pores turned outward and hardened into tiny spines and scales. She tested her movement in her new form, still not used to being a reptile, considering it was only her second time as one._

_She looked at the wall, seeing it as a strange blur, only when her tongue flicked out did its shape make a little more sense. She placed her hands as high as she could, testing how well she would stick on the ninety degree wall before pulling her feet up._

_She started moving quicker the farther up she went, until she was already climbing on other cages on the other side of the park, contemplating on how to get in them. Despite the fact that the human would more then likely be running around the place when they found her gone, but she wasn't going to leave now. Not without new DNA._

_She glanced into the cage that she was hanging off of. Several pairs of eyes belonging to a huddle of otters stared back. All she needed was a small amount of blood; the only obstacle was finding a way in._

I've been working on this rather than working on stuff for a class that I'm almost done with my third time taking…


	6. Chapter 6

It was a strange change in pace, and it made her nervous. They hadn't been removed from their cages for several days. Meals were regular and guards still patrolled the halls, but it was eerily quiet. She had a feeling that something was going to come and she was sure that she wasn't going to like it.

Though she didn't like the nagging feeling, she did enjoy the extra rest. She no longer woke to find her body aching and burning from too much strain, and she had begun to dream again. The only problem was that she was growing restless. She was used too constant movement or being too exhausted to move. She didn't like having energy and not being able to do anything with it.

She had spent her waking time learning how to talk again with Kurt, time that she very much enjoyed. He would often laugh at her when he heard her make frustrated noises from not being able to pronounce a word after the first few attempts. This would only irritate her farther. It was harder when she couldn't see how his mouth moved so she could mimic it. It didn't help that his accent (German, she think he called it once) made it harder for her.

He told her stories of when he was small, causing trouble and mayhem for his foster family. How he became well known as 'The Incredible Nightcrawler,' taking his place in a traveling circus. Too bad she only ever understood about half of what he was saying, but she made enthusiastic sounds all the same, to let him know she was enjoying herself.

She was curious as to what Kurt looked like. She remembered seeing him when he first arrived, but her eyes were poor at the time. She remembered his bright eyes more than the blur of his face. She wondered if her eyes glowed like that. She didn't remember her eyes ever glowing. It might just be male mutants with glowing eyes.

Once she felt that she had regained enough of her strength, she decided to quench her curiosity. She latched her hands around the bars on the doors little window and hoisted herself up, pushing her feet against the door to give herself better leverage. She called out to him once she could see his cage from the window.

She felt giddy when she saw him. He was a dark blue, looking even darker when he smiled, showing off fairly white teeth. She couldn't really tell from the distance, but they looked pointed. He waved at her with a three-fingered hand, saying good morning to her.

His appearance somewhat perplexed her. Why was he as an animal? And how could he speak as one? She couldn't speak while in any form other than her original. Yet, Kurt was yapping at her in an obvious animalistic state with no problem. She didn't know what animal he was posing as either. She had never seen and animal that looked so human facial wise. No, that wasn't true; monkeys and apes had faces similar to humans. But, his was nearly a perfect mimic of a humans'. She didn't understand it.

"Vat is wrong?"

"Animal?" she questioned, pointing a finger at him. He seemed quite taken back by this.

"No, I am not an animal. I'm human, like you."

"I not human. I mutant. You not mutant?"

"Yes, I am a mutant."

"You not human. What animal?"

"I… I am not an animal."

"Not animal? Not animal… mutant and human? H-how?"

"A mutant is _not_ an animal. A mutant is _human_. Understand?" She couldn't quite tell from her location, but he looked angry.

No. She didn't understand in the slightest. She dropped to the floor and shifted into a spiny lizard. She jumped back on the door and flicked her tongue at him, making sure he was still there before falling again. She shed her skin and grew fur, pulling herself up and barking at him. She did this several times until she felt that he understood.

"Animal." She pointed to herself as best as she could before pointing to him. "What animal Kurt?"

"I am not any animal," he said after a moment of silence. "I can not change like you. That is not my mutation."

She was about to continue to question him farther when she heard hurried footfalls from down the hall. She scurried into her pile of fur and curled up instinctively. She began to panic when her door started to open, almost growling. She was well rested; she could take on a few.

Relief and confusion flooded through her when the door was promptly shut. She heard the men shouting at Kurt, saying what she believed to be along the lines of his time had come.

Come? Come to what? She started panicking again, pulling herself up to see out of the hole. Kurt was being roughly pulled out of his cage, his hands restrained behind his back. Despite the abuse he was obviously receiving, his face looked relatively calm. He was even speaking back to one of them, which earned him a swift punch to his face.

Had Kurt not been in trouble, she would have been angry with him. She finally saw his full appearance, and it didn't look very human. He had a tail and two-toed animal like feet, which he wobbled on after the attack.

She called out to him as he passed, hoping that he would reassure her that he would be back. She had just made a friend; she didn't want to lose him now. He looked at her and gave a weak smile. He didn't even get three words out when the butt of one of the humans' weapons plowed into her face.

She cried out in pain and landed hard on the ground, holding her nose. She flopped over on her side, waiting for the dull throb in her back to disperse before looking out the window again. She felt like crying when she only saw a human glaring back at her.

She fell back into her cage; an empty feeling crawling around in her stomach, and it wasn't from her bloody nose. The human that was standing outside had let himself in, spouting something, but she paid him no mind. Kurt was gone. She was officially alone in this Hell.

She was brought out of her brooding when her head was forcefully wacked into the wall. The room spun for a few seconds before a foot collided with her gut. The human was looking down at her, laughing. Laughing at her inability to escape, her lack of power over her situation, and her pain at the loss of her friend.

How dare he.

She grabbed the end of the weapon before it came down on her for a third time. He was far stronger than she was, but she was able to keep it above her head long enough to get her feet under her.

The humans face was angry, which quickly became mildly triumphant at the sound of popping bones. He thought he was causing her more pain. Silly human.

She fully stood when her muscles grew out, pushing the gun up with her. She smelled his fear before she saw it, looking at him from under his weapon as her fangs sprouted between her snarling lips. She still didn't reach his height while standing on her toes, but it was enough.

He screamed a split second after she did, tearing the gun from his hands and hitting him with it. He fell out into the hallway, yelling out for help as he reached for the inside of his boot. Her mouth clamped down on his hand before he got a chance to fully pull out the knife hidden there.

His screams were silent in her ears, but his taste; oh that wondrously sweet taste of metallic, she loved it. She ceased chewing on his hand when his other made a fist and continuously pounded the top of her head. She screamed out in irritation and bit down on his arm, yanking it out of its socket. He brought his leg up and kicked her hard enough for her to fall off.

He was pushing himself away from her, still calling out for help. He was almost to his feet when she sprang at him again, trapping him underneath her. He tried to hit her off with his good arm, but found it difficult with its gnarled hand.

She pinned the flailing appendage with her back foot before clawing at his helmet, unsure of how to remove it. A claw caught on the strap under his chin, allowing the helmet to roll off. She wildly smiled down at his now clearly visible, terrified face. She wanted more than anything to remember that face. He was sputtering something; children she believed. She ignored it. What did their current predicament have to do with offspring?

She placed her hands on his forehead and neck before wrapping her mouth around his face, her teeth puncturing the sides of his skull, and yanked up.

_The bottom of the river was clear and clean, the temperature fluctuated from cold to icy and back depending on where she swam. She had swum underwater before, but her sight was always blurry. After her trip to the Denver Zoo, she could see much better._

_She climbed up on land, shivering as the cool air penetrated her mucus-covered skin. She could taste how dry the air was through her skin, she could _breath_ through it. Amphibians were her new favorite to shift into now, mainly because it allowed her to swim. It took much greater amount of consumption than the reptiles, but if she could see underwater without her eyes burning, it was worth it. She had the same problems as she did with reptiles, but she found that she would start suffocating in certain forms, the air being far too dry for her to function in. But, there were other, similar forms that worked._

_At the zoo, she had found a large room with many glass cages, each full of lizards, snakes, frogs, and other things she had never seen before. She had broke down a door marked for workers, knowing that there was a way to get to the animals without breaking the glass and making a bigger mess than she had made outside._

_There were several smaller cages on tables that had two of the same species in them, along with hundreds of little eggs. The eggs seemed to do a better job than the blood did, despite their bad taste._

_She wondered if her legs would form together into one big if when she shifted to a snake. She was a little disappointed when all she got was a small rattle at the end of her tail. Though, she did like the thin forked tongue that flicked out from under her actual tongue._

_She had also discovered that she could shift into birds. Somewhat. Her mind never turned birdlike, her mouth never became a beak; nothing actually changed. Except for a few patches of small feathers here and there, and she couldn't shed them out scales or fur, she had to pluck them out. Which was quite painful. All in all, she had eaten those owls for no reason._

_She shifted into her version of a bear, reveling in her thicker fur. Snow would start falling in the next few weeks and she didn't really want to be awake during those months. As she dug in the ground for edible roots, she vaguely wondered if she could actually hibernate._

Flashbacks will now be less frequent (unless ya'll want more.) That is all.


	7. Chapter 7

Her cage was bigger now, clean, but wasn't any more comfortable. They had cuffed her hands, the chains connected to them bolted to the back wall. They allowed her plenty of movement close to her person, but didn't allow her to move farther than halfway to the door.

The door had no window and it was thicker, so she couldn't hear or smell much of anything beyond it. She could, however, hear more running water through the walls. There was only one light that hung in the center of the ceiling that didn't hum, which she was thankful for. The walls and floor were smooth and cold, keeping her in a furry state more than any other, since she disposed of the rags they originally had her in. In the corner of the room, above the light in the dark (for a human. She could see it quite clearly) was a rectangular and round object that would blink red every now and then. She assumed they watched her with it.

She spent her time staring at the door, waiting for cleaner air to escape through it when it opened, for a chance to run and rip apart the first human she came across. She could get out of her binds; there were creatures she could shift to that would allow her hand to become thin or flexible enough to slip through. She just didn't seem to find it necessary for the time being, considering that they would know if she got loose form her constraints.

The humans would come in four at a time, one with a meal, one to replace the bucket in the corner and two to hold her down. They didn't like being in there with her, she could smell it, and she couldn't really blame them. She didn't know if the human she attacked had lived or not, nor did she care. Even if he did live, she knew that she had scared the other humans, causing them to be more cautious around her then what they had been.

They were either quick to enter and pin her down or too hesitant to even open the door. The first few times, she would run at them as soon as she caught a glimpse of their person. Granted, she couldn't get too close, but it amused her to no end to see them try to remain calm. A few of them jumped or quickly retreated, only to have another replace them. She had caught one once or twice, but never got too far in mauling them, since there was always another there to beat her off.

Soon, she took to staying curled up by the back wall, with a deep rumble in her chest and eyes never blinking. She would pick out the one that seemed the most nervous and just watch him, seeing if she could unnerve farther. It would work sometimes, but they started sending in tougher humans. Totally killed what little amusement she had.

Stryker had visited her only twice, setting up a chair a safe distance away with a guard on each side. He would just talk with her, never came near, but his presence was threatening enough. She never responded to him, choosing to ignore him as best she could as soon as she could smell his foul stench. He had mentioned Kurt, but she never acknowledged it. She wouldn't willingly give him the satisfaction.

She didn't know how long she was there; she had started eating less and less. The humans were precise with their movements now; in and out with little effort since she didn't do anything other than lay there. She had lost interest. She was never going to be able to get out on her own, no one knew she was there or that she even existed, and they certainly weren't going to let her just waltz out. What pained her the most, though, was the fact that Kurt was gone. The only person, other than her mother before she snapped, who wanted to try to know her; the only other mutant she had ever met. If the humans weren't going to kill her, then she would wait for death.

She had been splayed out on the floor, promptly ignoring the two bowls of food that had been placed just arms length from her, along with her stomachs protests, when the door shrilly swung open. The humans walked right in; they knew she wasn't going to do anything. The sound of multiple things being either dropped or gently placed vaguely caught her attention. It was the slightly off scent that caused her eyes to roam over to the objects.

Her tail twitched in annoyance when children greeted her eyes, a growl escaping her lips. She didn't really like children, not human children anyway. They were too noisy and far too dependent on their parents. She never understood why humans held on to their offspring for so long.

They were alive, their steady breathing loud and clear in the metal room, and they had an interesting smell. Humans had different scents, yes, but they all had the same undertone smell. These kids had something similar, close enough to not notice at first, but different enough to know they weren't exactly human.

It was familiar; she's become acquainted with it when she was first imprisoned. The smell became harder to pick out when other prisoners started disappearing. It was a mutants scent.

She perked up after realizing this, wobbling on her hands and feet as she moved as close as she could to them. They didn't look like they had been harmed in any way, but she couldn't quite tell since some were obscuring others from her view. She laid back down, knowing that there wasn't anything that she could do but wait for them to wake.

During the wait, her stomach wouldn't quit pestering her. She had gone for lengths of time in the wild without anything to eat, but she didn't handle it well then either. The bowls of mush were looking pretty inviting.

She had just finished inhaling the first batch of goop, rather wildly, when a scraping sound pulled her away. She whipped around to see that one of the children was awake and trying to push the others as far from her as possible.

She growled in his direction, turning toward him while licking her chops clean. She could have sworn he jumped a foot in the air before facing her. He had something that sat in front of his eyes that caught her attention, somewhat obscuring his widened, normal looking eyes. He didn't seem to have a tail, nor did the others.

This confused her somewhat. They smelled mutant, yet they didn't look it. Didn't all mutants look alike in the same sense that humans did? She remembered Kurt saying that he didn't have the same 'mutation' as she did. Her head was starting to hurt.

While she was busy sorting out her thoughts, the boy had been attempting to wake the others. One or two were stirring, but the rest were still out cold. A yell came from a small girl, an older one quickly putting her hand over her mouth to keep her silent upon seeing their larger cellmate. This snapped the cougar looking mutant back into focus.

She thought about the best way to go about showing them that she was in the same predicament as they were; or at least that she meant no harm. The boy with the… oh, what were they called? Glace? Glass? That was it; glass. The boy with the glass in front of his eyes stuck out his tongue. It was blue and forked like a reptile. He must be in the form of a lizard. Maybe he would be willing to calm himself and the others if he saw something that was relatively familiar.

She stood on her hind legs, smooth scales taking the place of her fur. She fell to the ground when she finished, completely drained. She was weaker than she thought she was.

They were watching her, looking more nervous than before. She turned to the boy and flicked out her own blue tongue, hoping he would understand that she wasn't the enemy. The little girl turned to his surprised form.

"She has a tongue like you do, Artie!"

"She's anthropomorphic…" the older girl stated more to herself. "She's like us! Where are we? Who are these people? Why'd they take us? What are they gonn'a do to us? Are the others ok?" She started moving closer and becoming louder the more she spoke.

The woman shook her head, frowning in confusion. She may have stared to grasp the very basics of speech again, but this girl was talking far too fast for her to keep up. She shifted back into her more human looking form.

"S-sl-slow," she started, holding her hands out for emphasis. "Talk too… f-fast." She noticed that they weren't paying attention to what she said. The older girl was covering the boys' eyes, whose face was a deep red, as was hers.

"Why are you naked?" the younger asked. By this time the other three were starting to come to, the oldest male openly staring when he noticed her.

Why were they staring? All females had the same form. Or did they? These mutants were wearing clothes, odd-looking clothes, but clothes just the same… Was she the only being who didn't wear anything?

Feeling a bit nervous under their gaze, she tried to move their attention. "Name?" She tried, pointing to the older girl. She looked to be the oldest, perhaps she would provide more assistance than the others would.

"J-Jubilee," she stuttered out once she realized she was being addressed. "You?"

"No name." She hoped this wasn't going to be a repeat of the conversation she had with Kurt about names.

"You don't have a name?" another, smaller girl ventured. She didn't seem too bothered that she wasn't wearing anything. "But, everyone has a name! I'll name you! I'll name-"

"Not right now, Erika." Jubilee stood, facing the woman, looking like she was doing everything in her power to keep her eyes locked on her face. "Where are we?"

"Hell." There was no hesitation. She had heard the other mutants call this place by that name; she just didn't know where Hell was located. They didn't look too happy about it either.

"What do they do here?" That question would be a little harder.

"Mutants… take some… where… Rooms. Stryker force mutants to… talk…h… hu-ur-t… other things." She moved her hands, trying to make them understand that not even she was fully sure what went on in many rooms. "Stay here," she gestured to the room around them, "then… humans take mutants… awh-aw-away."

"Away? Away to where?" She looked to be on the brink of tears.

She shook her head. "Not come… b-back."

_Oh, so close to having a name! She'll get one by next chapter… maybe._

_Relatively short, but hopefully I've left you hungering for more! I've been on a roll as of late, but it's going to slow down a little since I'm trying to switch my majors… and my adviser seems to want to keep me in Game Art for some obscure reason…_


	8. Chapter 8

Time had passed and they were sleeping now (at least she thought all of them were sleeping. One she couldn't tell if he was awake or not), even Jubilee who had insisted on staying awake. The children had piled themselves around her now furry form to help keep warm in the cold room, as well as make them feel more comfortable with her. They didn't seem too keen with her being nude and she had to admit that she didn't like it too much when some of them were blatantly staring.

They had given their names, but it did little good. She knew Jubilee, Sammie, and part of another… Art, she believed. She was too tired from lack of nutrients and shifting to fully pay attention. Though, she did notice the smallest child had started to call her 'kitty' when she shifted back into a cougar. She didn't particularly like it. 'Kitty' was what you called a house cat, and she was anything but a pet. She assumed Jubilee noticed her distaste for it for she said something about getting it mixed up with someone else who went by the same name… or something along those lines.

Jubilee had actually made the decision to name her herself, which the adult mutant couldn't care less. From what little she had observed from Jubilee, she knew that the girl would call her something that as far more appropriate than 'Kitty.' She didn't really take notice to her temporary 'name,' just knowing that it was the only one in the bunch that ended in '-ro.' She didn't have a name, and she wasn't planning on taking one, but if it made them feel better they could call her something for the time being.

She was relaxed for the first time since being shoved into her first cage. When the children became comfortable with her as a feline, the smaller ones wanted to pet her. She had never had anyone pet her before, but she quickly found herself thoroughly enjoying herself. She purred loudly when they found a particularly tender spot on the side of her neck. They had been the bold ones who curled up next to her when they grew sleepy. The older ones soon followed when it grew too cold for them to stand any longer. Despite an elbow in her side, a body keeping her tail from moving and an unpleasant snoring coming from one of them, she was content and found herself drifting off.

"An… ke u… Ant… Anthro! Wake up!" She jerked awake, groggily feeling small hands roughly pushing her. She lightly growled, wanting them to stop and let her sleep longer. Only when she felt them suddenly gone from her sides did her brain focus.

She snapped up with a wild scream, swatting at a human that had begun to kneel in front of her. He cursed and quickly withdrew, cradling his now bleeding hand. She scanned the small room and saw the kids were forcefully being held back. Two of them were out cold on the floor. This infuriated her. She may not have particularly cared for children, but there was absolutely no reason to treat them this way.

She hissed when more humans came at her, trying to pin her down. She bit and scratched at any who got too close, putting herself as close to the wall as she could. A few came at her, distracting her from another that was advancing from her side. She felt her fur ruffle a spit second before a painful shock coursed through her body. She fell limp to the ground as her muscles clinched and unclenched uncomfortably. Her sight was a little fuzzy and her hearing muffled, but she could feel her hands being released from the wall binds only for them to be painfully clasped behind her back. Something was forced onto her head, covering her face and obscuring her vision.

She struggled against the two that dragged her through the hallways, hissing and attempting claw at them with her feet. She almost slipped from their grasp at one point, only to have the shock cause her to fall limp once more.

They dragged her twitching form around a corner where she was suddenly dropped. She painfully landed on the floor, her head banging around in its personal cage. There were heated words echoing in the hall fallowed by gunfire. She pulled her head up to see what they were shooting at so vigorously at. She was caught off guard to see the bullets hovering in the air. The humans ceased their attack, looking to one another for an answer when the floating wall of metal suddenly flew back, hitting the humans.

A bloodied body fell on her, causing her hands to jam into her back. She started to try to wiggle her way out from under him when the weight was lifted off of her. She panicked, fur standing on end when she felt hands on her arms. She began thrashing, knocking the person back as soon as her hands where free. She moved away from them, immediately clawing at the thing on her face, needing it off before she could do anything else.

She heard voices, but ignored them, standing to move farther away. Her hands were forced away from her head and her face forced forward. Her widened eyes met yellow ones through the metal bars. She thought she was looking at Kurt for a split second before noticing short red hair and a female body. Mutant. Her eyes drifted to a man behind the woman, wearing the strangest clothing she had ever seen. He kinked his fingers slightly, the metal bars breaking apart, freeing her head.

"You should find that more comfortable, my dear." He gave a kind smile to her nervous posture. He moved past her down the hall, the blue woman following. "You're more then welcome to come along if you choose."

She understood that she was being allowed to go with them, but she was unsure if she should. Mutant or not, she didn't know them. She glanced at the humans bleeding all over the floor. The man had killed them in a split second without gaining any injuries himself. He didn't have to get close to his enemy to off them, and he had protected the female. Perhaps they could lead her out of Hell and keep her safe in her weakened state. After all, she knew the saying 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.'

She jogged after them, slowing to their pace when she was a few feet behind them. She may be traveling with them, but that didn't mean that she shouldn't show a little caution and respect to their space. Either one could easily kill her if they pleased. The woman had glanced over her shoulder for a second, giving her a small grin. She felt a small pang in her gut when seeing the corners of her blue lips curve the lower lid of her yellow eye. It reminded her a lot of Kurt.

The three were silent as they moved, she trying to keep up with their quicker pace. She knew she was exhausted, injured, and her stomach was all but digesting itself, but moving around like this was letting her just how fatigued she really was.

A sudden, violent vibration shook the halls, causing the older mutants to halt in order keep their footing. She, however, was jolted to her knees, letting out a pain filled growl as her knee caps banged on the hard ground. She gritted her teeth and slowly stood, her bones popping, relieving some of the tension. Only when her discomfort dissipated did she realize that the other two were already turning a corner at a quicker speed. She launched herself after them, choosing to continue the journey on all fours. It would distribute her weight more evenly, allowing her to keep easier balance, and to keep up without tiring herself out too quickly.

They turned through the halls swiftly, coming to a long corridor. The place was crawling with the human stench; however, she could smell that there were a small number of them at the end of the corridor. Her fur began to prickle, a low growl making its way out involuntarily. She personally knew two of those scents.

She instinctively dropped herself as low as she could get when gunfire blared through the air. The man and woman had stopped and just stood there. It took a few seconds for her to know why. The bullets were stopping several feet from them, as they did before with the humans that had her in chains. She looked at the man. He had such power, and if the way he held himself was any indication, he knew it. She moved forward, weary of the bullets still being fired, until she could see his face. She didn't see it well the first time due to her relief to be able to open her mouth correctly again. Lines of age were evident from under his helmet, his piercing eyes never wavering from the scene before him; holding a firm determination just under the surface. Just watching him made her feel small and insignificant. This man was powerful. This man was dangerous.

She moved back behind him, turning her gaze to the woman who was watching her. This woman was just as dangerous, and seemed to follow the man as a pack would follow an alpha. The woman gave the same small grin she made earlier. It wasn't friendly, nor did it have any malice. It was one of amusement; like one an adult would make at a child.

The guns had stopped by this time. She watched in wonder as the floating pieces of metal formed together into a wall. The woman moved close to it, hunching down next to the mans feet before motioning for her to join. She obliged, and hesitantly sat against the wall. Several seconds went by and she began wondering what the point of this was when an explosion made her nearly jump out of her fur. There were objects flying past the wall and ramming into it. She huddled closer to the blue woman to avoid the debris that was bouncing off the walls.

It didn't take long for the commotion to die down, the makeshift wall being pushed aside. She sniffed around at the remains of the humans, a soft purr thrumming in her chest at the thought of two of her abusers dead and gone. She swore she heard the man chuckle.

Her purring suddenly turned into a feral scream as a pulse of _something_ rocked her very core. A more human sound came from the woman, while the man seemed to try and keep balance. That was all she was able to comprehend from them before her body began pulling in varies directions without her say so. She felt her fur grow rapidly as her bones cracked into different positions just as quickly. Her mindset clicked into the species of her body just as her body began changing into another form. It was happening fast, too fast and it continued to speed up. She was shifting into every living being she had ever digested. And she wasn't shifting into one at a time. No, her body was changing into all of them at the same time. While the lower half of her skeleton morphed from feline to lizard, her upper skeleton was morphing from frog to rhino. Various patterns of fur, scales, and skin continually sprouted and shed in random places. Her organs felt like they would burst from being pushed, pulled, stretched, and squashed from her skeletal and muscle patterns moving too rapidly. Her whole being was on fire, her cries of pain changing with her vocal cords, making a hellish noise.

She was dying. That had to be it. How else could she describe this immense pain? She no longer had any thoughts; her body was slowly growing numb. She thrashed until her eyes rolled in her head, loosing conscience while her bodies shifting quickened.

_Sorry about this taking as long as it did. This chapter hated me. And I mean really _hated_ me…_


	9. Chapter 9

_There were places that she liked to visit, places that were close to humans. She liked to watch them, to wonder if she would have lived like they did had she not been a mutant. She had never seen another mutant so she didn't know how they lived, but she assumed that it wasn't much different form her lifestyle. Made sense considering many humans call mutants animals._

_It bothered her the more she thought about it. Humans lived together, from what she could tell. Did mutants live together like they did? She had an instinct to want to belong to a 'pack,' but she didn't feel anywhere near at home with animals. She wasn't human, so they would never allow her into their society. But, where did mutants congregate? She spent years looking for any sign of mutant establishments but never found anything._

_She watched a dog chase ball, doing all she could to keep herself planted in her hiding spot. She always took a canine form when coming to a public place such as this incase of other dogs. Anything other than a domestic animal scent would usually have them chasing her off. She whined as the ball was thrown again, watching in bounce in the grass before being caught by the large beast. She could be mistaken for a dog easily from a distance. But, if she allowed a human to look too closely they would know she wasn't an animal. She couldn't take that chance._

_She rose from the dirt and moved away from the humans, contemplating on whether to hunt or fish for her next meal, when a call caused her to turn her head. She froze in panic as something moved in the bushes. She picked out a human outline, almost blending with the plants. She had seen many humans wearing clothing that almost matched the earth; there were plenty of them at this particular location. The male moved close to her, his hand raised toward her in a friendly manner. He didn't notice that she wasn't a dog. She growled, fur lifting. If she could keep him at that distance she could turn tail and he wouldn't be the wiser._

_Damn that ball! She was too fixed on it to notice anyone coming near her._

_The human stopped, talking to her in a low voice. She started to back away when a crunch from behind caused her to turn. Another human was there, holding a stick and moving closer despite her growl growing louder. He poked the long stick toward her, trying to push her in a direction. She snapped at it, refusing to move. They were talking, the one with the stick seeming to ignore his comrade._

_She bit down on the stick when she grew sick of it waving around in her face. She yanked on it, almost pulling it from his hands. It wasn't until she felt something brush against her side did she do the dumbest thing she could have possibly ever done._

_She stood._

_Usually the first thing a human would notice about her as any animal would be her face, almost human looking. Another would be her hands, which were just furry hands with pads and claws. The next and most noticeable from almost any angle would be her shoulders. There were animals that had something similar to a collarbone, but none actually had one. Collarbones pretty much belonged to humans. Meaning, wide shoulders on a dog was unheard of. However, standing and walking on hind legs without any effort screamed unnatural._

_The stick was pulled from the humans' hands from the sudden height difference. The back of her head wacked painfully against the head of the human behind her, causing him to fall. She kicked her foot out to the human before her reflexively, nailing him in the gut, before running for her life. She believed those men could have easily taken her down; she lucked out with surprising them. She moved faster, shifting into a more aerodynamic beast when she heard shouts and barking._

_She felt like she was running in circles for days. These humans were everywhere and they seemed bound and determined to find her. They finally cornered her, shoving her in a tight cage. They only let her out when she had changed into her more human looking form. They had dressed her and put her in a room. They tried speaking with her, sometimes with two people, sometimes with one. Some would get real close to her face and yell until they turned red. She had attacked them more than once for doing this, not liking them to be so close to her person. She would be restrained shortly afterward, then 'punished.' They never got much from her, even after a beating since she didn't really know what they were saying._

_Despite her hate for these humans, there were a few who were kind and almost understanding. She knew as long as they were around, she would remain safe until she could find a way out._

_It wasn't until she was sitting face to face with William Stryker for the first time did everything go downhill._

Her mind thrummed back into conscience, the dull ach of her body being the first thing she noticed. Seconded thing she noticed was how much her stomach was churning. She groggily sat up, leftover fur falling to the already large pile around her. She blinked several times clearing her vision to a round open door, muffled sounds bouncing off the walls. The woman came into her vision first, kneeling next to her and placing a hand on her head.

"Feeling alright?"

She merely nodded, not trusting her voice to be functioning properly yet. The woman helped her to her feet just as the man came from the door, sealing it shut behind him. He glanced at the two and continued walking, the woman following almost immediately.

She watched them move down the hall, trying to find her bearings. Her body didn't hurt anymore and nothing felt out of place. Though, her back felt a little stiff after slowly shifting and moving to catch up. She couldn't believe she was still alive after all that, or that she was still able to shift without much issue.

They came upon only one human toward the end of the hall. She walked next to the man before they got too close, silently asking to dispose of him herself when she recognized the scent. He simply smiled and held out his hand in invitation, never slowing his pace. She had to admit that she had a little too much fun tearing the human apart. She even took an arm with her afterwards, devouring it greedily. She thought she might be sick off of it later, but she figured it was better to have something in her gut now. The woman didn't find it too appealing, but it was compensation for lack of hunting and meat during her time there.

When they passed through a hall that was far too familiar to her she became nervous. Just seeing the now empty cells made her a little jumpy. She paused at one, not her own, but Kurts. She felt a small wave of sadness wash over her as she looked in. She could still smell him.

She could still smell him…

Why could she still smell him? He had been gone for a long while, plenty of time for his scent to disperse. That and all the human traffic would help it virtually disappear.

She shoved her nose to the ground, the folds on her bloodhound body helping to intensify the smell. She moved about the hallway, trying to find which way the scent was strongest. She ignored the fact that the man and woman were already gone; if there was a chance Kurt was alive she'd take it. A few vibrations shook the foundation, several pipes bursting out steam along the way. It felt like the walls were closing in on her; she needed to hurry.

She moved back toward the direction she had just come from, finding the scent growing the farther she moved. She barked in excitement when she found a direct path, flat out running. She didn't realize she was running down the same hall where the round door was until she was slowed by a number of shouts and bodies coming her way.

She instinctively growled at them, standing to her full height to help with intimidation. She came to a halt; tail wagging as she recognized the bodies as the children from her holding cell. She was glade to see them safe, but her main concern was Kurt. She all but ignored their words and looked past them, only seeing a red hair woman being supported by a man with odd looking glass over his eyes.

The trail ended there, Kurt had to be somewhere nearby. She made her way toward the adults, who seemed a little uneasy with her presence. The man was saying something, but she paid no heed. She moved past them with her nose zigzagging along the floor. His scent stopped there. Where was he? He wasn't exactly hard to miss. One word caused her to stopped suddenly and turned to the woman who was looking oddly at her.

"You're looking for him. You're looking for Kurt." She leapt from her position and stood before woman, silently demanding to know where he was.

"Whoa! Hold on, Jean! Who're you?" The male pulled himself and the woman back, putting himself more between the two.

"Scott, it's ok-"

"That's Anthro!" Jubilee butted in. "She was in the cell we were put in. They took her out before Ororo showed up."

"Scott," Jean pulled his face to hers. "She's safe." She didn't wait for a reply from him and put her attention on the canine. "Kurt is in there." Jean caught the mutants' arm who had immediately started toward the door.

"Anthro, wait! You can't go in there!" She was cut off from another rough vibration. There was a sudden horrid burning smell accompanied by an odd sound. She looked around to see a small cloud of smoke circling a white haired, dark skinned woman. Where had she come from? She wasn't there before.

The sound came again, she turning to another cloud of smoke. A man in an oddly colored coat, carrying a bald man, stepped out of the cloud. She couldn't tell what he looked like from the back and the baggy clothing, but she knew that scent anywhere. Her tail wagged, ears perked and posture straitened as she realized who it was. He was alive!

She wanted to call out to him, hear his voice again so she knew her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. Her arm was suddenly yanked by one of the children before she had a chance, being pulled along the halls after the others. It was then she noticed the sense of urgency around everyone. Understandable, considering that the foundation seemed to be falling apart around them.

The father they went down a stretch of hall, the stronger the smell of water became. She stopped abruptly when they entered a very large room with an equally large round opening. That's where the water was, she could hear it now, and it was getting closer. The little girl who had her hand pulled and called for her to move with everyone else. She merely whimpered.

She cringed when a screeching came from the opening as its doors sealed shut. A rough voice from nearby redirected her, as well as the others, attention to a short man. He motioned for them to fallow, she once again being pulled by the girl. The farther they traveled the colder it became.

She was suddenly blinded by a bright light when a door was opened. Icy wind stung her skin through her thin fur, her feet becoming wet and cold fairly quickly. Her senses were overwhelmed as she breathed in crisp air.

She yanked away from the girl after being forcefully tugged along for a good ways, refusing to move any farther and deeply inhaling the pine scent. Thick, white snow covered the ground, vibrant trees spread as far as she could see. She marveled at the clear blue sky, spreading her arms to soak up the sun as the taste of fresh air tingled her tongue.

She was _free._

A warm feeling spread through her whole being as she unconsciously sprouted plush spotted white fur better suited for the cold. A loud, ear grating noise from with in the Hell they had just come from made her fur stand on end. It was enough to cause her to grab the girl who was trying to get her to move and place her on her back. She dropped onto her hands, moving quickly to catch-up with the others, ignoring the slight sting from the girl gripping her fur.

They had stopped in a clearing; the man that had lead them out shouting something. She could have cared less about what it was about. She was more concerned about the loud thrum that was getting louder. She took shelter behind Kurt when a giant black… _thing_ came right at them from the air before crashing several feet away in the snow.

The others didn't hesitate heading toward it, which caused her to question their sanity. Whatever this thing was, it almost crushed them and they were running to it! She snapped to Kurt when that strange sound of sucking air caught her attention. She began to panic when nothing but smoke was in Kurts place. She wildly looked around trying to catch sight of him anywhere when she came face to face with Jubilee.

"Come _on_, Anthro! We need to get on the Blackbird!" She growled in protest and moved away from Jubilees grasp, far too weary of the massive object to get any closer to it. Jubilee seemed to struggle with herself for a moment before hesitantly moving away from her and disappearing.

She turned and started to move toward the woods, her flight instinct kicking in. She paused, suddenly feeling torn; she wasn't quit sure why. The wild was her home, where she belonged, where she was the most comfortable and felt safe. But, there was now this nagging need to move toward this thing. To move _inside_ it. The longer she stood there, the stronger the feeling became, until she was quickly moving towards the black object.

There was an opening at one end with a ramp leading up to it. She wasn't hesitating any more, which she wasn't sure if it bothered her or not. She felt almost calm as she entered the metal object, passing the woman with the red hair. She paused and watched her limp out into the snow. The woman turned and gave her a weak, painful smile as she lifted her hand, the platform rising with it.

She began to panic as it snapped shut. She was trapped again, locked in a cage when she had just had a taste of the outside world. She hissed and clawed at the door, lashing out when she felt hands on her. She stilled when her eyes adjusted on Jubilee, favoring her reddening arm. She dropped to the floor, pushing herself as far into a corner as she could. She growled at Jubilee when she tried to come near, unsure if she could be trusted. She wasn't sure if any of the people that she was with now could be trusted, to be honest. She was so ready to get out she didn't stop to think on if they were safe to be around and now she was trapped in a human created contraption again. In the back of her mind, reason was trying to tell her that if an individual such as Kurt was with them, they were safe. Unfortunately, animal survival instinct was overpowering human reason.

_*gnaws on fingers* I'm sitting in my new class right now, Art History… my God I'm ready to fall asleep… _


	10. Chapter 10

Emerald Gaze: Yes! It was Toad! Many brownie points to you! Bonus for being the only one to guess! (to me at least)

Sarana-snape: Thank you, very much! You can laugh at my lack of German skills all you please. I only know a few words and I can't even spell in English to save my life, so I went to some online translation site. I know those aren't the greatest, but it's the best I've got at the moment. I didn't maim it too badly, did I?

_She was so comfortable in her soft bed, the late morning sun aiding to the warmth of the room. The ticking of the clock on her bedside table was about to lull her back to sleep when a light knock on her door pulled her out of the fog. She opened her eyes to a slit, seeing the hazy outline of her mother. She inhaled deeply as she pushed herself to a sitting position as her mother sat on the bed._

"'_Orning', mama," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes._

"_Good morning, hun. Want to go for a ride with me?"_

_Her tail immediately perked at the mention of a horse ride with her mother, something she always enjoyed. Seeing her daughter excited about the prospect of a ride caused her to smile. Her mother was suddenly gone; the hand resting lovingly on her head was replaced with a painfully firm grip._

_She cried out as she looked up into her stepfathers' angry face. His hand moved to her tail, yanking it hard enough to pull her to the floor. Her screams of pain from the fire running down her spin went unheeded as he continued to pull her toward the hallway. Her screams became sounds of panic when Stryker appeared in the doorway, his sickly kind smile making her stomach clench as she clawed at the floor to try to get away. He held a syringe in his hand, filled with a clear liquid. She backed herself as far from him as she could, her room seeping into blackness along with her stepfather. The only light came from Strykers' mad eyes as he advanced on her. Was that needle getting bigger?_

"_Now, now, Ms. Hicks," he grinned, his stained teeth making a horrid noise as they grinded together. "There's nowhere for you to go. No one wanted you, which is why you're here. Now sit still. This will sting."_

She sprang up in a cold sweat, squinting her eyes from a bright light. She clutched her chest in an attempt to comfort her rapid heart and erratic breathing. There was something heavy draped over her lower body, immediately sending her farther into a panic, her legs kicking wildly to get whatever it was off. She became tangled and cried out when her head hit a hard angular object as she lost balance. She landed painfully on her arm as the rest of her body flopped to the floor, grunting when something ripped from her hand.

Her head was throbbing, her limbs felt heavy and itched; her equilibrium was so out of tune that she couldn't even crawl on her hands and knees. She yelled in frustration when she couldn't seem to keep her eyes open long enough to see around her. She gripped her head, trying to force it to stop spinning when movement echoed in her muffled ears.

She franticly pushed away from the sounds, knocking something heavy on herself in the process. She screamed and lashed out when something took hold of her arm. Her limbs were quickly pinned to her sides, causing her to struggle farther. It was a loosing battle, however, as she quickly became fatigued. Her shivering form was pushed against a warm body, a voice speaking softly while gently rocking her. It didn't take long for her to drift back to sleep.

Ororo Munroe sighed heavily when the mutant in her arms stilled. Xavier had said that there was a high possibility that when she awoke she would fling herself into a panic. She couldn't blame the poor girl; waking up in a foreign place after enduring Strykers' unique 'hospitality' would toss anyone into a frenzy.

She pulled the door to Anthro's temporary room and entered the elevator to the ground floor. It was early morning on a Saturday, so there would be very few students awake and about, giving her time to herself.

Anthro, as some of the children called her, was removed from a corner on the Blackbird, passed out. She remembered someone mistaking her for an animal at first glance. Shortly after setting her up in the medical lab did she start shedding. It was only when the fur was gone did the results of severe malnourishment fully come to light; ribs showing, hipbones looked to be on the verge of puncturing through her skin, and the ligaments in her hands and feet were almost visible. It was a miracle that her body wasn't eating away at her muscles yet. Adrenaline seemed to be the only thing that had been keeping her alive. She was doing better though, the six days straight of sleep she was getting and the I.V. that was feeding her liquid was doing wonders.

Ororo took a seat in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, thinking over all that had happened. Jean was gone and most everyone who knew her was taking it hard. Scott was by far the worst; he'd locked himself in his room not even two days after they returned from Alkali Lake. Not even Xavier could convince him to mingle with the rest of the world. The rare moments when she had caught a glimpse of him he looked like he hadn't showered in a while and he was starting to accumulate facial hair. She knew that he was mourning, but even Logan was speaking to people and practicing personal hygiene.

Logan hadn't run off yet, which Ororo was glad for, but felt he would fairly soon. He really wasn't the type to hang around one place for too long. Though, he might find himself staying longer than he anticipated since agreeing to take over the mechanic class until Scott was back on his feet.

The children that had been taken were already back in their regular routine. Ororo was worried that they would have some difficulty due to such a traumatic experience of being kidnapped, but they seemed to have taken it fairly well. She had a suspicion that the Professor had something to do with it.

Ororo glanced at the doorway when she felt the air in the area move. She watched as Kurt Wagner entered the kitchen, letting out a loud yawn. He proceeded to the refrigerator, not noticing her presence. He was an interesting character; polite, well mannered, deeply religious, flirtatious, and shy and nervous around those he didn't know. Xavier had welcomed him to stay as long as he pleased, as he did with many others. Kurt accepted his hospitality, saying he would only stay until he felt ready to make the long trip back to his home in Germany. He had already contacted his family, they being thrilled that he was alive.

"Good morning, Kurt." Ororo greeted casually, causing the indigo colored mutant to nearly jump out of his fur.

"Ah, guten morgen, Ororo. I vas unaware you were there."

"I sometimes have that effect."

Kurt gave her a tiered grin as he poured himself some orange juice before joining her. He glanced out into the hallways, making sure no one was coming. Even though he had been assured that he wouldn't be judged on his appearance, he was still a little on edge, though he had been venturing from his room more often.

"Has, ah… Anthro's health improved any?"

Ororo allowed a smile to tug at her lips. Kurt had been worried for Anthro since he helped bring her down into the med lab. He said that he didn't know her, but her presence seemed familiar. Xavier had told him after a short session that he may have known her during his stay at Alkali Lake, but he was unable to determine due to that part of his mind still buried in fog.

"Physically she's doing better. She woke up a few minutes ago. She's asleep now," she quickly added after noticing Kurt's hopeful face. "Wasn't awake for more than a minute."

"Is it possible that I go see her? Maybe I vould remember somesing if I just saw her vith less… fluff." He was almost begging now. Xavier hadn't allowed anyone other than someone with medical experience in to see her. Even someone with the sniffles could cause her currently poor health to plummet.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I can't let you in until she's recovered more. I know you're worried, but give her some time."

* * *

It was dark, her lungs filled with cold air that had an odd smell. Her body felt numb with relaxation on whatever she was laying on. It was soft and warm, two things she liked. She shifted, stretching her stiff limbs, sighing in content when a few bones popped. She noticed another presence when she stilled to fall back into her slumber. It was different than what she was used to. It wasn't menacing, threatening, or angry. It was… calm.

Her eyelids were heavy, but she managed to peel them open, squinting upward. A kind, tiered face smiled down at her in the dim lighting. She was slightly confused. Under any other circumstance she would jump and run or jump and attack, but she felt that it would be unnecessary to do either.

"Hello, Anthro. How are you feeling?" She moved her mouth, furrowing her brows when she couldn't seem to form any sounds. "Ah, forgive me. You must be thirsty." He leaned out of her view for a moment, hearing an odd whirring sound. She turned her head to see him beside her now, holding his hand out to her.

"Take my hand and I'll help you sit up. Can't have you choking on water from lying down now, can we?"

She took his hand with some hesitance, and soon found herself swinging to and fro, trying to keep balance. She didn't notice the woman until she was sitting beside her with her hands on her shoulders to keep her steady. She swore she had seen this dark skinned woman before. However her thoughts were clipped when she saw a cup being handed to her. She snatched it with little thought, smelling the liquid contained within. The water was cold and stung her dry throat, making her stomach knot in protest. But she could care less. It was _delicious._

Almost as soon as she began drowning herself it was forcefully taken from her, some precious water splashing to the floor. What where they doing? Torturing her?

She reached for the cup, nearly falling in the process. She turned to the woman when she noticed that she was speaking to her. "- slowly. All right? Drink it slowly."

She was handed back the cup, this time watching the woman to see if she was going to take it again. Her eyes didn't leave the woman's as she down the rest of the water, at much slower pace this time. Her stomach clenched uncomfortably from only having icy water fill it.

The woman left after a few moments, after she was sure that the younger was able to sit on her own. The man remained, sitting across from her in an odd looking metal chair. When he didn't say anything right away, she took to examining the room. It was fairly large and very spacious, the color scheme being white and pale blue. There were beds sitting against the walls, some with little tables next to them, others with chairs. All were empty. There looked to be a doorway that led to a smaller room more toward the back. There didn't seem to be any other way out, none that she could see anyway.

She focused her attention back to the man who had been waiting patiently for her to finish surveying her surroundings. It was odd. She knew this man didn't pose any sort of threat, so she expected herself to be less afraid, but didn't expect herself to let her guard down. However, she felt almost nothing. Her body was relaxed and comfortable, she hadn't looked for anything around her that could be used to her advantage if something went wrong, she didn't feel cautious, her curiosity was at an all time low; she was just… there. She wasn't sure if she should be worried or not.

"I'm glade to see that you're doing better. We were worried that you might not wake in the best of moods, so we gave you mild muscle relaxers, to help you stay calm and more focused than if you awoke in a panic as you did a few days ago. I assure you, you are safe." He spoke with such clarity, that she was surprised to find herself understanding every word he said. When was the last time she fully understood someone? Her surprise melted into a light fear at the mention of 'muscle relaxers.' She wasn't clear on what that was, but she knew that it meant that they injected her with something to make her feel as detached as she felt now. Was he one of _those_ humans?

"I am not, but I am human, Anthro." How did… "As are you." Wait. "Humans and mutants are the same. A mutant is not an animal, but a human being. Many non-mutants call us 'animals' simply because they do not accept us. But, we are very much human. We are just able to do things that others can not."

Kurt had said something similar to this, but she still didn't fully understand all of it. She pointed to her eyes, and pulled at her tail, then pointed to him. If this man was a mutant, why didn't he have a tail and eyes like hers?

"There are no two mutants that are exactly alike. Just like there are no two animals of the same species that are exactly alike. Every mutant has their own power. You are able to shape shift into various animals, and will not find another mutant that can do what you do or look like you. Just like you won't be able to find anyone who looks or can do what Kurt does."

She took a sharp breath when he mentioned Kurt, which she instantly regretted since the cold air on her dry throat caused her to have a fit of coughs. The man handed her another cup, filled to the brim, reminding her to take it in slowly. She attempted to speak when she finished; desperate to know it Kurt was still safe.

"You… You know Kurt? W-where? I see Kurt?" Her voice was weak and scratchy, much worse then the last time she heard it.

"In time you will, Anthro. But, you need to get your strength back up before you do."

"No- not name. I no name." She had recognized the word that the children had called her. She didn't think anyone else would call her that. She didn't want anyone to call her anything. She didn't plan on staying now that she was awake and out of Stryker's 'care.' As soon as she was satisfied that Kurt was fine, she was gone, back to the wild where she belonged. She would finish healing out there. Though she had been searching for other mutants and acceptance, she didn't think she'd exactly fit in now that she had seen how normal the majority looked.

The man gave her a kind smile. "Well, we must call you something. It's far simpler to communicate with one another if we have names. And, you'll be staying a while longer yet. Your body is not ready to support itself since it went for so long without the proper care. Everyone knows you as 'Anthro,' but if you prefer to go by something else, we will call you by it. Just know everyone will call you something, regardless of if you want them to or not, and some are not too good at giving names."

Her tail twitched in thought. What he said about her not having the strength to function on her own was true; she was already starting to feel fatigued from just sitting up on her own. These people did seem to genuinely want to help her and they had gotten her away from Stryker, hadn't they? She didn't like the fact that she was being kept inside, but at least it was roomier and cleaner than her last cage. Best part, she wasn't chained or muzzled. Though, she wouldn't be able to go anywhere in her current state anyway, so she didn't really have much choice in the matter.

"Antr- An- Anth-ro. Anthro. I Anthro."

"And my name is Charles Xavier. Ororo will be back shortly with something for you to eat."

As soon as he mentioned food, her stomach growled loudly. It was then she felt how uncomfortable she was, but it only registered for a split second after Xavier chuckled. He was a very kind individual; she sensed absolutely nothing threatening from him. Perhaps her stay here wouldn't be so bad.

_Hmm… I seem to work faster when listening to James Cameron's Avatar soundtrack… Curious._

___Look what I did! (Let me know if the link doesn't work)_

___http:/ animationmutation. deviantart. com/#/ d2vjmo1_


	11. Chapter 11

_Sarana-snape: That would be such awesome-socks! I'll give you a poke the next time I have Kurt spout random German!_

The next week was long and Anthro usually found herself trying to stay sane in the room she was staying in. It was better than what she was in before, but it was still an enclosed area. The doors leading out were always unlocked, but she didn't trust herself to wonder too far out after her first try. She had gotten herself lost shortly after forcing her legs to function and promptly collapsed from over exertion. Most of her strength was back and she could complete mundane tasks without help. Though, she had to pace herself as to not pass out. She had gained quite a bit weight, which Ororo was very pleased about. Ororo had been trying to teach her proper speech, which she was grasping, but still didn't quite get grammar.

Anthro had kept herself busy during the past two days by rearranging the room and running in circles along the walls, ceiling, and floor. Ororo didn't like her doing anything other than rest, but it was helping her get her stamina and strength back. She had gotten visits from Jubilee and Erika (who still refused to call her anything but 'kitty,' much to her annoyance) from time to time when her immune system was stable again.

She had just counted lap eight on her trek around the wall, when Ororo entered the room and called her down.

"Since you're vital signs are normal and you have the energy to run around the room like you are," Ororo gave her a look that clearly said she still didn't approve of that. "The Prof. and I have decided that you're ready to move upstairs. Understand?"

"Yes. But, I not go now? Why I still stay?" It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for what they had done for her, she just _needed_ to go outside.

"Your health has improved immensely, but you're still not quite ready to continue living like you do. We want to make sure that your body is as strong as it once was before we feel comfortable with you leaving."

Anthro reflected that this made sense and willingly followed Ororo down the shiny hallways and into a small circular room. She didn't know the purpose of such a small room, and was about to question Ororo when the door sealed them inside. She grew panicky when it began to move. Ororo was quick to calm her trying to explain what an 'elevator' was.

Anthro knew that there were many things she didn't know about life as a human. She had forgotten many things and had never even seen more. She was in awe of the size of the house, carved from shiny wood and made up of many doors. There were paintings on the walls and odd pottery and even one or two stone heads than lined some of the hallways. Her nose was on fire with what she could smell. Her entire body swiveled to take as much of it in as she could.

She was lead to a wide set of stairs, which she had fun balancing on the railing. Well, she did until Ororo scolded her for it. The second floor was much like the first, only the walls were more bare. There were many more doors here, some of them had voices and other noises that she couldn't make out coming from them.

They passed a window; Anthro immediately stuck her face against it. Green trees stretched out as far as she could see, the bright sun warming her as she stared longingly. Ororo called to her, promising that she could go outside later in the day. This notion caused her to bound up to the older woman, eager to finish this supposed tour.

"This is where you'll be staying, Anthro." Ororo opened a door at the end of the hall, revealing a room with a large bed, a small table and lamp next to it, and a chest of drawers. A large window with light curtains overlooked the wooded area. The whole room was made from the same shiny wood. There was a door that led to a small bathroom and, what she assumed to be, a doorless closet. It somewhat reminded her of…

"My…" Her hand swept over the cream colored bed, thinking of her mother. She imagined this would be similar to what her old room would look like if it didn't have any toys in it. She remembered how her mother would always tell her to pick them up off the floor so no one would step on them. She missed her.

She jumped when Ororo's hand landed on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Sleepy."

"Lie down then. I need to speak to the Prof. I'll be back in a few minutes and we can continue to look around the Institute if you feel up to it. Alright?"

Anthro nodded, knowing that Ororo more than likely didn't believe her, but she didn't need to dwell in the past. She was dead to her mother, and there was nothing that was going to change that.

She wondered the room when Ororo left, flicking the light switch a few times before treading into the bathroom. It took her a few attempts, but she got water to run from both the sink and the tub. She could hardly believe that she remembered how they worked, not that she would ever use the tube for anything other than relaxing.

Fact is, she didn't really need to bathe. Since her body shed fur, scales, and skin whenever she shifted, her outer layer was always new. She assumed that she didn't smell, at least not too badly, since no one had ever said anything about it.

She exited into the room and eyed the bed. There was one thing that she wanted to do that she was never allowed to do as a child, and the bed in the larger room downstairs wasn't springy enough.

She leapt onto the bed, falling on her back then bouncing up high enough to land crouched on her feet, and then falling back into the pillows, squealing in delight during the whole endeavor. She did this several more times, seeing if she could touch the ceiling from just bouncing from her back when a knock came form the door. She fell to the floor in surprise, grunting as she scrambled to the door.

Ororo stood in the doorway with a humorous smile. "I thought you were tiered?" The response was a shrug. "Come on, I'll show you around outside before everyone lets out of class."

Outside was wonderful. No, it was beyond wonderful; it was exhilarating. To Hell with Ororo's tour! She climbed trees, ran in circles, and rolled in the plush grass, thoroughly enjoying the feel against her fur. Ororo didn't allow her to remove the clothes she wore, but they were luckily loose and so they didn't' rub her fur too badly.

She was sunbathing, slowly drifting off into a light sleep when voices caught her attention. One she knew as Ororos', the other was awfully familiar. She leapt up as soon as she recognized the voice, running toward the two mutants.

"Kurt!" she cried as she latched her arms around his waist. He stumbled back from surprise and the impact, nearly toppling over. He seemed hesitant, but placed his arms around her in a loose hug.

"Hello, Anthro. Feeling better?" Anthro heaved a sigh upon hearing his deep voice, liking the way her named sounded rumbling in his chest.

"Much better. I happy you… alive. Scared when Stryker take you. I scared I not see you again."

Kurt frowned slightly, his brows furrowing as he looked over Anthros' face. He glanced at the mansion then off towards the thicker woods. He asked her to come with him and gestured to the trees, leading her to a small garden. Anthro watched him as they sat on the bench that was off to the side. She knew something was bothering him, and it bothered her that it was making him frown like that.

She took his face, which was turned down in thought, and turned it toward her. Gently using her index fingers, she pushed to corners of his mouth up. He looked ridiculous like that to say the least. She started laughing, which in turn caused him to join her. She liked him better this way.

After a few moments, they both settled down, he moving back into his mind and she suddenly wondering where Ororo went.

"Anthro," Kurt started. "How long have ve… known each other?"

She didn't take long with her answer, since she didn't quite know herself. "Not long. Weeks?"

"How, did ve meet?"

"In cages…" She was becoming confused. Why was he asking?

"Stryker bring you. You yell in… German? Yes. You yell in German for days. I in another cage. You teach… me words that I… for-get. We talk. First to talk to me. You first… what word? You first… friend."

Kurt seemed a little uneasy now. He looked like he was getting a headache, or in some sort of pain.

"Kurt okay?"

"I vish I vas. I do not remember being kept in a cage or Stryker. I do not remember much except for blurs of images." He looked to the concerned woman. "I am afraid that I don't remember you either, Anthro."

Not remember? How could he not remember? What they went through was not something anyone would forget so easily. No one could forget such horrors. But, he looked so guilty when he said he didn't remember her, and the way his eyes roamed over her made her believe he was trying to remember. She felt torn inside; the only other positive human interaction she had ever had didn't remember her.

Her mind clicked to another thought suddenly. Maybe him not remembering wasn't so bad. He may not know her, but at least he didn't have nightmares that woke him constantly. Shadows on the walls making shapes that looked too much like experimental devices that he had been hooked up to and sometimes left overnight. Anthro was haunted, only in the back of her mind, but the thoughts were still there.

Movement caught her attention, as Kurt lifted himself from the bench and moved to stand before the decorated pond. He looked so defeated, and Anthro decided it didn't fit him.

"I am sorry, Anthro. I know I should know you; you do seem familiar, but-!"

He was cut off by Anthro around his middle again. "You remember, good. You not remember, maybe better. I familiar to you, good enough. You still first friend. You never remember me, then you meet me again instead. I meet you again."

He didn't answer right away, seeming a little confused on what she was trying to say. She pulled away form him and held out her hand; like she had seen many humans do before in greeting.

"I am mutant. My name is Anthro."

It took a little longer, but it finally clicked in his mind. A smile spread across his face as he took her hand.

"And I am Kurt Wagner. It is a pleasure to meet you, Anthro."

_Spleen… I made another! Now, if only I were this constant in my school work…_

_http: / animationmutation. deviantart. com/ gallery /#/ d2w6q07_


	12. Chapter 12

Anthro let a content purr pass through her lips, the haze of sleep slowly lifting. The spot she was curled up in was soft and warm. When was the last time she woke feeling so refreshed?

Her brain activity was beginning to increase when unfamiliar scents drifted past her nose. There were muffled sounds that were unfamiliar, causing her breathing to increase slightly with her growing panic. It was then that she realized that it was becoming increasingly difficult to breath.

Her eyes snapped open to a blur of white encasing her. She cried out and moved every which way to find a way out. She lost balance when her hand landed on nothing but air, falling in a heap on the floor. She groaned in discomfort upon landing on her arm. This predicament seemed somewhat familiar to her.

She glanced around when she found her head to be free of what was apparently bed sheets. A shinny wooden floor and bed legs greeted her from her position. Where was she? She detangled herself and stood, taking in the room. Her muscles began to relax when her memory replayed itself.

She and Kurt had talked for a while after they 'met.' It was when people started to emerge from the mansion did she begin to grow nervous and moved to run and hid. Kurt had prevented her though, instead taking her inside. He seemed to try and avoid them from being seen, she thinking he sensed her discomfort. Kurt was summoned elsewhere shortly after and, she not knowing what to do, huddled up in her room. She had watched people move around outside from her window until she drifted off.

She yawned loudly, looking out the window to the bright day. Her form sagged slightly upon seeing people running around. She had been hoping to run around herself before others went out. She was about to turn away when a blur of red caught her eye. A boy caught it and threw it to another boy, who in turn caught it and threw it back. Anthro's pupils dilated, feline tail twitching playfully as she watched the red thing being tossed back and forth. She wasn't sure how long she watched them, following the red with her head across the glass, but a knock snapped her from her trance.

"Anthro? Are you in here?" Ah, she knew that voice.

She gave a growl in conformation as she moved toward the door. Jubilee entered not a second later, her face beaming when her eyes landed on Anthro. Anthro nearly fell from the impact of the younger girl practically running to her in a hug. Guess there weren't any hard feelings about the barely noticeable scars on her arm.

"It's great that you're better! I heard that you moved up here yesterday, but I couldn't come visit because of classes. I wanted to help show you around from an exciting view, since I know Ms. Ororo, as cool as she is, would only show you all the boring places-"

Jubilee stared digging through the dresser as she chattered on, pulling clothes out and examining them, tossing a few on the bed. Anthro watched her in interest, not really listening to what she had to say since she was talking a little too fast for her to pick up on everything. She wondered where the clothes had come from; the ones that she had been using belonged in the medical area, so she couldn't keep them. It wasn't until Jubilee was standing before her did she start paying attention.

"Anthro, you've got to change back into a human. Your claws will make marks on the floors and you'll get in trouble for it. That, and I found this cute outfit I want you to try on!"

She grunted her displeasure, first at the thought of having to shed her fur, second at the 'outfit' that Jubilee was holding up for her to see. She understood that she needed to shift to keep from damaging property, and she really didn't want to get into any more trouble of any kind, but she wasn't going to until she found covering that would a better job of… covering. Or at least looked comfortable.

Jubilee frowned at Anthros lack of enthusiasm. "What's wrong? This shirt would look cute on you!"

Anthro merely growled negatively and started rustlings through the clothes that were splayed out on the bed. The younger girl asked what she was looking for, but she didn't even know herself. She moved toward the chest-of-draws when she didn't find anything, Jubilee still trying to catch her attention with other clothes. She turned them down at a glance, some looking too small to even fit over her head. She never paid much attention to what humans wore, but seeing them up close… did humans really torture themselves with such coverings that didn't even protect them?

She pulled out a brown shirt from the bottom drawer. It was large enough for her to move around comfortably and hung around her knees; she could get around it being thin. As long as she could move to her body's full extent, she was fine.

She shook off the access fur from her skin and began pulling the shirt over head, when she was halted by Jubilee. She shook her off, thinking that she was protesting against the shirt. When the shirt was roughly yanked from her grasp did her attention snap to the younger girl. She was getting annoyed now.

"You can't go around wearing a shirt you sleep in!" Jubilee shrank back when Anthro's reply was angry narrowed eyes, a flicking tail, and flexing hands. She was trying very hard not to lunge. "W-well, you need to wear a bra and underwear, at least!"

"…Bra?"

An Hour later, Anthro was following a still babbling Jubilee to the kitchen, pulling at the small pair of shorts she wore. Jubilee had said they were necessary since her tail kept lifting her shirt, exposing her underwear. It was the bra she wanted to draw the line at. It poked and prodded into her flesh, straps digging uncomfortably into her shoulders, and felt overall constricting and itchy. She dealt with it at first, only to keep Jubilee from badgering her, but the more she moved, the more uncomfortable it became.

She was close to ripping the damn thing off and putting up with Jubilee by the time they entered the dinning area. Anthro stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of people. There weren't many, but it was enough to make her squirm. She had been so occupied with trying to become acquainted with her new garments that she didn't notice the many voices.

She quickly backed back into the hallway, hoping no one noticed her. She wasn't ready to face so many people at one time. Even though Xavier had said that everyone here was a mutant, it didn't help the fact that she was new and physically different from them. They would stare and she didn't like being the center of attention.

She turned to make her way back to her room, when a voice called her from down the hallway. She felt her stomach clench and tail perk as she saw Kurt smiling at her from the other end of the hall. She refrained from running to him, choosing to stay where she was since he picked up his pace.

"Anthro! How are you?" He seemed hesitant to get too close to her, just stopping a couple of feet short. But his grin didn't betray that he was glad to see her.

"I am good. How is Kurt?"

"Doing much better. I vent to see if you would accompany me to breakfast this morning, but you vere still sleeping. Would you like to join me for lunch? If you're hungry, that is."

At the mention of food, her stomach knotted. When did she last eat? Thinking on it, her last meal was yesterday morning, before Ororo took her to her new room. Oh, yes, she was quite hungry now that she was moving around. "Yes, I… very hungry."

The darker mutant smiled and held out his arm to her, bending it at the elbow. Anthro watched his arm for a few seconds, confused at what he was trying to communicate. She put her arm in the same position next to his, smiling widely. Kurt was blank for a few seconds, being confused by her gesture mimic before laughing lightly. He placed his hand on her shoulder and began to lead her past the noisy dinning room and into the kitchen.

"Why we here? We not eat there?" It wasn't that she wasn't glade that they had avoided the crowd, but she was curious why they weren't in the dinning room. If her memory was correct, people ate in the room with the long table and many chairs and the room they were in was where food was prepared. There were people already in the dinning room so that meant food was already made and waiting? Though, now that she thought about it, a hunt outside sounded rather appealing.

"Vell, each person has to make their own meal on the veekends. Is there anything in particular you want to eat?"

He continued his trek through cabinets when she answered negative. She didn't really know what she liked. The meals that Ororo gave her were better than what she had had while at Strikers, but it was almost just as bland. She couldn't really remember what she used to eat while still at her mothers. She did, however, know what wild animals were her favorite: salmon, badger, and rattle snake. Mountain goats came close but were a little tough for her tastes. She liked frogs and salamanders as well, mainly for how they wiggled on the way down and tickled her belly, since some were small and slimy enough to swallow whole. Unfortunately, there were some that made her sick no matter what form, so she had to be real picky.

She began looking around the kitchen while she waited. It was fairly large and white; the cabinets were the same shiny wood that everything else was. A tall table with tall, round, backless chairs sat in the middle of the floor. There was an assortment of things that she had glimpsed when she used to peek into houses, one or two things she recognized.

There was one contraption that caught her eye. It was mainly glass, rounded, with a white bottom and black buttons. It was one red button that drew her to it. When she got closer, she noticed the glass was hollow with three blades at the bottom. Her fingers poked around it before pushing one of the white buttons. She pushed another when nothing happened, making the first button pop up. Amused, she continued to play with the buttons, until she had gone down the line to the red. She was hesitant since it stood out so much more from the rest of the thing.

She pushed it.

It jumped, causing her to jump, and let out a loud ear-grating noise. She went with her flight instinct and launched herself as far under the tall table as she could, knocking over some of the chairs in the process. She clenched her eyes shut and had her palms pressed hard against her ears, not really doing much to block out the harsh sound. Almost as soon as the racket started, it was silent.

She felt soft, gentle hands on her shaking form along with muffled words. Her hands were pried away form her ears, Kurts' low voice speaking calmly to her. She didn't quite hear him, due to her ears still ringing, but she did calm down once she saw his concerned face.

"It's alright, Anthro. There is nothing to be frightened of." He coaxed her out from under the table, making sure to hold on to her since she was still quivering. By this time, there were a few children who had poked their heads in from the dinning room to see what all the commotion was about.

"Anthro? Anthro! There you are!" Jubilee pushed her way through the small cluster of bodies and all but jumped the poor woman. "What happened?"

"Nothing to worry about," Kurt said to them. "Something she isn't accustomed to frightened her."

"The blender?" one asked. "What's so scary about a blender?"

"Jubilee…" The teen needed only the pleading glance from Kurt to know that he was asking her to take the younger children back into the dinning room. Though, she didn't want to leave Anthro shaking like she was, she complied.

"Anthro?" He ventured once everyone had left, guiding her onto a bar chair. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes. I sorry. It was so… loud…"

"There is nothing to apologize for. You have never seen a blender before?"

"Blender?" Her stomach knotted when he smiled gently at her. Was she really so hungry?

"The thing you vere playing with. It is called a 'blender.' It's used to make special, frozen drinks and deserts. I could make you something with it, if you would like?"

"No thank you. I do not want to hear it again."

"Yes, it does take a toll on the ears. Stay on the stool and ve will eat here." She was still a little wobbly and he didn't want to have her move until she was more stable.

Anthro was a little nervous of the plate set before her. One was a sandwich, she knew that much, but the other portion of the plate was covered in… well, she wasn't quite sure what they were, but they seemed vaguely familiar. They were a pale gold color, ridged, and in various random shapes and sizes, piled on top of one another. She poked one, it breaking easily beneath her finger. She didn't like how it felt, the slippery substance staying on her finger even after she tried to rub it off.

She finally picked one up and examined it, the very faint odor it had sparking a vague memory involving it. It was food, 'junk food' as she recalled her mother calling it. She liked the ones that she was given when she was little, these had to be the same.

She was unaware that Kurt had seated himself beside her with his own plate. He was now watching her with amusement. His tail flicked when she bit into the potato chip, her face breaking out into a smile. She began eating more eagerly once she had decided that she liked it. Kurt had tried to keep from laughing when she took a bite of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich he had made for her. He may had put too much peanut butter on hers for she kept trying to use her tongue to scrape it off the roof of her mouth; much like a dog.

Kurt snorted through his own sandwich, at the frustrated face she was currently making. He turned from her, taking a drink to try and cover his slip. When he turned back she was curiously watching him.

"What?" she asked, "What is wrong?"

"N-nothing. How about after we eat we go outside? You seem to have a lot of energy that needs to be burned off."

Needless to say, running around outside was what she had been hoping for, and promptly shoveled everything down as quickly as possible, trying very hard to ignore the peanut butter sticking to her mouth until after she had finished. She then proceeded to pester Kurt until he was finished. She swore he was taking his time on purpose.

* * *

I'm sorry for this taking as long as it did; however I've been EXTREMELY busy with my classes. It's two new classes every month and the farther into the program I go, the bigger the work load, but I am alive and working my stories little by little (for those who are waiting for an update on my Toad/OC fic, I'm close to having the next chapter done. I just need to get a chance to sit and work on it without falling asleep).

The next update may take just as long as this one did, possibly longer due to both classes and a bit of a roadblock in my thought process. I know where I'm going with this; it's just a matter of getting there.


	13. Chapter 13

Her nose lifted into the air, taking long, deep whiffs. He was easy enough to locate and track, it was getting close enough to catch him before he disappeared again that was the hard part.

Her form shifted, her tail becoming grey and bushy as her hands and feet shaped themselves into tools best for climbing trees. That was where she had started spotting him, high above her, smiling down until she tried to climb after him, then he would vanish into a cloud of smoke. Then the hunt would start again.

This had been going on for a few hours, for the past several days, and she had yet to catch him. Maybe coming at him from the trees would fare better results.

Her lengthened fingers and toes gripped at the bark as she tried to pin point him. He had moved, but she couldn't tell where. She smelled more and more of the smoke that he had a habit of leaving behind. He was everywhere at once, that burning smell filled her senses, clouding her sense of direction. She was lost.

A sudden sucking sound from behind startled her to almost losing her balance. She turned and lunged into a cloud of thick smoke. She coughed through it, landing on the ground none too gently. She had missed him… again.

A small squeak escaped her lips as she was suddenly lifted from behind. She half-heartedly struggled against him, knowing that it was a losing battle. It was when he started tickling her sides did she shift to a bulky form to get away.

"Ah! That is not fair!" Kurt stood back smiling as the humanoid grizzly playfully growled at him.

"No," Anthro said, keeping herself at arms length. "What not fair, is you moving so much. I cannot catch you!"

"Maybe you are just too slow?"

He quickly teleported as she pounced at him, growling in annoyance as she landed in smoke. She turned to find him laughing at her sulking form, not noticing when she started to take a crouch.

He yelled in surprise as fell to the ground, Anthros heavier body knocking the wind out of him. She smiled as he blinked up at her with a slightly dazed look, before smiling himself. "Alright! Alright! You got me! Now, do you mind letting me up?"

She made a face as if she were thinking about his request. She then shook her head and slightly curled herself on his chest, purring contently. He was warm.

It had been two weeks since Anthro had woken from near death, and three days since she was told that she was healthy enough to leave. Thing was, she didn't know if she wanted to now that she had the opportunity. While she disliked clothes and not being allowed to hunt or venture off the grounds, she loved waking up to the feeling of sheets rubbing against her fur. She enjoyed learning about all of the human things she had missed out on, though most of it was still far over her head. She had come to like her new name and seeing other mutants and their abilities. She liked learning to speak again and found that many liked to hear her stories of her time in the wild. She liked spending time with the younger children, which surprised her greatly, they liking to watch her shift or snuggle up against her if it was late enough. She had even made friends with a young girl who could change into a wolf hybrid, which became almost routine to go on morning runs together.

But out of everything, she liked being around Kurt most. He was always around, answering questions and helping her with foreign things. He would sometimes escort her to meals, eating with her in the kitchen. He would meet her after her lessons with Ororo and would spend time outside, sometimes just enjoying one another's company. Now that she better understood what he was saying, she could enjoy his childhood tales more.

She gave a growl in content when he started to rub one of her ears. That was another thing she had come to thoroughly enjoy: physical contact. She had known as a child that cats liked to be rubbed and scratched in certain areas. She had no idea that the same would be for her and she happily allowed any who wished to pet her do so.

"Ach! Anthro!" Anthro jolted up from her relaxed state, looking around to see what was wrong. The only thing she saw was Kurt lying on the ground rubbing a spot on his chest.

"Ah, sorry. I did not mean to startle you. It's just your claws were starting to hurt."

Her head tilted in confusion before she realized that she had been flexing her hands against him. She couldn't help it! It had felt so nice. She dropped her head and gave an apologetic look.

"It's alright. I will just have to remember to vatch your claws in the future." He stood and stretched, looking toward the sky. "It's starting to get dark. Should ve turn in for the night?"

He chuckled as her posture slouched in disappointment. She had been forced indoors before nightfall during her stay. She wanted to run around in the dark for a few hours at least. She missed the adrenaline rush she used to get in the cooler air.

"Maybe I can talk vith Ororo and see if she can leave the back door unlocked for a little while."

"Perhaps you can ask me at another time."

They both turned to find Ororo walking up to them. "The professor would like to see you, Anthro. He says that you are welcome to join them if you wish." She added to Kurt.

"What he need to see me for?" She asked as they made their way through the halls.

"I'm not too sure. I was just getting ready to help with dinner when he asked me to retrieve you. Here we are." She opened the door allowing them to enter a classroom.

Anthro had been in this room once before, when she was snooping around and had accidently walked in on his class. He had been all right with it, though, even allowing her to sit in. Suffice to say that she felt awkward and didn't understand anything that was being said.

"Good evening Anthro. Mr. Wagner. Please have a seat."

"Ororo say you want to talk to me?"

"Yes. I wanted to know if you have decided to stay here. Permanently. I had spoken with you a few days ago about this. Do you remember?"

"Yes. You say-said… said I could leave." She thought she saw Kurt stiffen slightly out of the corner of her eye, but wasn't too sure.

"I know you lived most of your life without much human contact, and suddenly being thrown into this way of living has been difficult for you. You have been adjusting quite well these past couple of weeks, however I know that you still have a longing to 'run free.' Anthro," he started when she started to look away. "Your instinct to live away from people is nothing to be ashamed of. Nor is your need to belong to a 'pack,' as you once described it to me. Know that no one is stopping you from leaving, and you may whenever you feel ready. And if you wish to stay, you are more than welcome to. Whatever you choose to do, we will support you in it."

She was silent for a few moments, playing with her tail while trying to sort out her thoughts.

"I… appreciate… everything you have done. More… then anything. You save me from Stryker and heal and teach me. Gave me… home." It was so odd to hear herself say that. "I do miss living outside. I miss hearing everything and knowing what it is. Hunting and catching, dirt in my fur. I do not like clothes. They rub my fur uncomfort… uncom… badly. I miss it being quiet, not having anyone watch me. I liked swimming and rolling in mud and sleeping in the sun. Eating when I am hungry, not have to wait or to… cook." She had stated smiling during her speech at the memories, before it started to fall into a more serious expression.

"But, I know that if I leave, I will miss things here. I will miss beds and learning things that I should know. I do not want to forget to talk again. Now I hear so much noise, if I go back to quiet I will miss the noise. I will miss people most, I think. Learning with Ororo and you. Playing with Jubilee and Erika. Making the… children smile. I will miss… being with Kurt." She smiled toward the mentioned mutant, who smiled back with an expression she couldn't quite place.

"I know that I can run and swim here. I can change here. Out in woods, I cannot be with people same as I can here. Will make me sad to be alone. Here I can talk and run when I want. I have to wear clothes, I will. I cannot hunt, I won't. I will learn. I will stay."

Xavier smiled at the younger woman, more than glad that she chose to remain. "I'm happy to hear that, Anthro. As I said before, you are more than welcome. I'm sure that everyone else will be pleased to hear it as well. Jubilee in particular has been worried if you would stay or go. Now, dinner will be served shortly, and I believe you were wanting to run outside in the dark, yes? I have no problem with it, so long as you return inside before dawn and if Mr. Wagner doesn't mind keeping an eye on you."

"Not at all, Professor."

She could have pounced him in a huge hug right then in her delight, but kept herself from doing so. She didn't think it would be a good idea to knock him over by accident.

"Thank you! Very much!"

* * *

The cool night air felt fantastic as she ran between the trees as fast as she could. The moist dirt and dewed grass filled her nose, as her adrenaline peaked in the intense dark.

She stopped for a moment, sniffing the ground. Her target had been there just recently. He was close. She took off once she found a solid lead.

Anthro and Kurt had decided to continue their game, only this time Kurt was not allowed to teleport. He had to run like true prey being hunted. The thought of a fair chance of her catching Kurt sent a rush through her.

She came to a pond, a deep one if her memory served correct, and trotted to a halt. She took a moment to drink, hearing all too well the slight movement from behind. He was in the tree, moving to the branches just above her.

She sniffed at the ground again before darting off after the trail, in the opposite direction. She quickly shifted into a much darker colored form and doubled back. She could see Kurt, right where he was when she left in the tree branches. He was looking at the sky, completely unaware that she was climbing the tree.

Her heart thudded loudly as she inched closer, doing everything within her power to not make a sound or move the branch too much for him to notice. Though, as intently as he was watching the stars, she was positive that he wouldn't notice her until she had pounced. By then, it would be too late.

She was close enough to reach him if she lunged, which was exactly her plan. She crouched, her tail flicking, wide eyes never leaving his form. Her fingers and toes flexed as her muscles tensed, preparing to spring.

_Crack-_

The branch jolted, Kurt quickly turning to see what caused it. His startled eyes met her equally startled ones before the branch snapped. They both fell, ungracefully, into the pond below.

Anthro instinctively paddled upward, dodging the chucks of tree that fell around her. She broke the surface just after Kurt, both sputtering water. They pulled themselves into the grass, trying to catch their breath.

"Anthro! Are you alright?"

"I am fine. You?"

"A little water logged, but I will live."

"Good." She suddenly pounced, wrapping her arms around him. Kurt didn't have time to react as he fell to the ground with Anthro grinning down at him. "I caught you! This time, it fair!"

Despite nearly drowning, he couldn't help but laugh at her look of absolute glee. She joined in, rolling off and sitting next to him. Their laughter died down as they sat listening to the crickets and frogs.

"Anthro," Kurt started, sitting up, "I'm glad you decided to stay. I would be pretty bored vithout you."

"I glad I am staying, too. I miss the wild, but… I think I miss here more."

Kurt was smiling at her, seeming like he was thinking. He started to speak when Anthro let out a loud yawn. "Ah… Perhaps that was enough excitement for one night. Shall ve be off to bed?" He stood and offered his hand to her, she taking it without hesitation.

_Whew! I'd like ya'll to know that I have been ignoring my schoolwork in order to work on this. And I don't regret it._

_I don't think I've thanked ya'll for all the reviews (though, I have truly meant to do so for the past few chapters, but had been so caught up in just getting them posted), so thanks for all the reviews! As well as the alerts and whatever the hell else you can do with these things! They make me feel all giddy inside!_


	14. So, yeah

Ahh, my dear Readers. It's been a long while, yes?

I'm very sorry for it, things have been on a down hill slide for a while, and they're showing no signs of getting better...

Welp, I'd been working off and on, on Ch 14, however, I no longer have a computer (I've currently stolen my roommates laptop). As of about a month ago, the MacBook Pro I've had since the beginning of 2009 is no longer a functioning thing. Why?

Because our landlord is a fucking piece of shit, that's why. The entire situation with this fuck-ass is too long and depressing for me to get in to.

So, a small section of a (very) long story short: a main water pipe in the ceiling broke and flooded half the house. I more or less sleep on the floor, where my laptop sits so I can do things as I drift off to sleep. It's been acting real wonky lately but was still functional. Now, it's useless. I don't even know if all my stuff can be saved. I had bought an external hard drive to transfer my things, but alas, didn't have the chance to use it yet. So, I'm looking into building a Hackintosh, as all of my programs are Mac (and Adobe are assholes, saying I have to have the latest updates to transfer to PC), but I've got games that are PC only that I've yet to play as boot camp was a bitch on my Mac for whatever reason. So, until I've the money and time to actually build a computer, I'm stuck with my phone. Which is a pain in the ass.

On a lighter note, I've found out about Organite, and will be attempting to make my own!


End file.
